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Tuesday, 4 April 2017

Less or More Intensive Crop Arable Systems of Alentejo Region of Portugal: what is the sustainable option?

Author
Carlos Marques, Baptista, Fátima, Luis Leopoldo Silva, Dina Murcho and Rosado, Maurícia

Abstract: Competitiveness of traditional arable crop system of Alentejo region of Portugal has been questioned for long. Discussion and research on the sustainability of the system has evolved on two contrasted alternative options for production technologies to traditional system. On the one hand reduced and no tillage systems aim to more extensive technical operations reducing costs and maintaining production, or even to increase it in the long run as soil fertility improves. On the other hand, input intensification using irrigation, as a complement in the last stage of crop cycle or always when needed, aimed to increase system production levels. To evaluate competitiveness and sustainability of arable crop system we evaluated traditional rotation technology and alternative no tillage and irrigation systems and analyze their farm economic results as well as their energy efficiency and environmental impacts. The analysis of the impact of no tillage and irrigation on arable land production system showed that both alternatives contributed to cost savings and profit earnings, energy savings and reduced GHG emissions, increasing physical and economic factor efficiency. Research and technological development of both options are worthwhile to promote competitiveness and sustainability of arable crop production systems of the Alentejo region in Portugal.
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Analysis of spatial effects in vine crop across Portuguese regions

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Abstract: The consideration of spatial effects at a regional level is becoming increasingly frequent and the work of Anselin (1988), among others, has contributed to this. This study analyses, through cross-section estimation methods, the influence of spatial effects in the NUTs III vine crop of mainland Portugal, in 1999 (the last data available), considering the Verdoorn relationship as a base of study. To analyse the data, by using Moran I statistics, and estimation results, considering the spatial lag and spatial error component, it is stated that there are positive spatial autocorrelation (variables of each of the regions develop in a similar manner to each of the neighbouring regions), in the vine crop.
Keywords: spatial econometrics; vine crop; Portuguese regions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 C21 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
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Date: 2011
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THE ROLE OF AREA-YIELD CROP INSURANCE IN FARMERS' ADJUSTMENT AGAINST RISK IN A DRYLAND REGION OF PORTUGAL

Author
Amilcar Serrao and Luís Coelho (lcoelho@uevora.pt)

Abstract: This research develops a mathematical programming model to maximize the expected utility of the farmers' wealth-producing cereals in the Alentejo dryland region of Portugal, and it is used to determine the premium rate that crop farmers are willing to pay for reducing the variability of their incomes, and the Portuguese government subsidy of the premium rate in the case where the farmer is not willing to pay the totality of this.
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Forecasting Wheat Output and Profits from Cropping Systems Using Simulation Models in Uasin Gishu, Kenya

Author
P.M. Nyangweso, Paul Okelo Odmori, M.Z. Mapelu and Mark O. Odhiambo

Abstract: Simulation models have been used successfully to forecast productivity of cropping systems under various weather, management and policy scenarios. These models have helped farmers make efficient resource allocation decisions. However, in Kenya simulation models have not been used extensively and more specifically in modeling large scale cropping systems. The study aimed at forecasting productivity and profitability of wheat cropping systems in Uasin Gishu district, Kenya. Both primary and secondary data were used. Both time series and cross-sectional data for variables of interest were collected and complemented by a survey of 20 wheat farmers who were systematically selected to verify information obtained from secondary sources. Cropping Systems simulation model and Monte Carlo simulation were used to determine wheat output and profits under alternative price scenarios. Even though, simulated yields overestimated actual field wheat yield both at the district and across the four agro-ecological zones, the deviation from the actual field yield was marginal. It is recommended that Cropsyst and Monte Carlo models be included among a bundle of tools for decision making. Further research is also required to test the two models under different locations, diverse soil types, varied management styles and different scales of production.
Keywords: Wheat; cropping system; simulation; forecasting; productivity; profits; Crop Production/Industries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
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Date: 2010-09
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What Vitamin Deficiency Causes Memory Loss?

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What Vitamin Deficiency Causes Memory Loss?

A healthy diet is important for keeping you energized physically, but poor nutrition habits also link to neurological, or brain, problems like memory loss. Small amounts of essential vitamins found in your daily diet supply you with the functional nutrients you need to maintain brain and body health. Extreme vitamin deficiencies, however, underlie memory complications associated with medical conditions like dementia and alcoholic brain disease.



Essential Vitamins

Thirteen vitamins are essential to your diet, which means your body needs them to function properly. Vitamins A, D, E and K are the fat-soluble vitamins that store in your fat cells. Vitamin C and the remaining eight B vitamins are water-soluble; Your body uses what is needed and eliminates the excess in your urine daily. For the most part, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains and lean protein is enough for you to get your daily vitamin needs met. However, the normal process of aging, malnourishment or extenuating circumstances like conditions that cause malabsorption of nutrients can hinder how your body absorbs and uses these vitamins, leading to deficiency. The vitamin deficiency most commonly associated with memory loss is vitamin B-1, or thiamine, although other B vitamins and vitamin D deficiency might be linked to memory loss associated with alcoholism, dementia, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Thiamine Deficiency

Thiamine, like the other B vitamins, is an important nutrient for metabolizing food into energy and protecting various nervous system functions. High concentrations of thiamine reside in your brain and aid in the proper functioning of enzymes needed to produce neurotransmitters for thought, movement, mood and memory. Although thiamine is readily found in foods like chicken, whole grains, nuts and beans, a diet excluding these foods increases your risk of deficiency. However, excess consumption of alcohol can hinder the absorption of thiamine and also cause deficiency. Severe thiamine deficiency results in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a neurological disorder characterized by symptoms of confusion, short-term and long-term memory loss. The daily recommended intake of thiamine for adults is 1.1 to 1.2 mg.




Vitamins B-3, B-6, B-9 and B-12

The B vitamins each have chemical tasks to fulfill in your body, but as a whole some of the vitamins cannot complete vital processes without the presence of other B vitamins. For instance, vitamin B-3, which is important in digestive metabolism, relies on adequate levels of vitamin B-6 to carry out its metabolic processes. Similarly, vitamins B-6, B-9 and B-12 work together to regulate the amino acid homocysteine in your blood so that it is not produced in excess. Deficiency in any of these vitamins increases the risk of high levels of homocysteine, which is linked to early onset of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, notes the Linus Pauling Institute. Foods containing these B vitamins include whole grains, potatoes, nuts, poultry and leafy green vegetables.

Vitamin D Deficiency

Preliminary research by the National Institutes of Health and University of Exeter as reported by the online publication "Scientific American" indicates that vitamin D deficiency might link to cognitive decline in the form of dementia. Vitamin D is most commonly associated with bone health, but the University of Exeter study concluded that over half of the study participants with dementia also were vitamin D deficient. These results are significant since vitamin D is not easily obtained from food sources, but research is ongoing to find the exact link between vitamin D deficiency and cognitive decline. You can get vitamin D from direct sunlight exposure to your skin but this comes with the risk of skin cancer. The adequate intake of vitamin D is 400 to 600 IU per day. Fortified dairy and fish contain this vitamin.

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Vitamins That Help With Focus & Concentration

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Vitamins That Help With Focus & Concentration

Vitamins have important biochemical roles in the brain and are needed for proper cognitive function. Certain vitamins not only help keep your brain functioning at its peak, but also protect against brain disease and functional decline. When you provide your brain with the right vitamins, you're boosting your ability to focus and concentrate.


Niacin

Your brain requires niacin, vitamin B-3, to maintain a constant supply of glucose to meet its energy needs. Severe niacin deficiency, which can occur in cases of chronic alcoholism and in people who have problems absorbing nutrients, can result in neurologic symptoms such as poor concentration, confusion and memory loss. Niacin-rich foods include whole grains, potatoes, poultry, fish and meat. The recommended dietary allowance for people age 14 and older is 14 milligrams per day for women and 16 milligrams for men. A 3-ounce serving of cooked yellowfin tuna, for example, contains 18.8 milligrams, and a 3.5-ounce serving of oil-roasted peanuts provides 13.8 milligrams of niacin.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is vital to proper cognitive function. It accumulates in the central nervous system, with neurons of the brain having particularly high levels. Vitamin C is required for making the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which affects the part of your brain where attention and responding actions are controlled. As a powerful antioxidant, vitamin C protects your brain against free radicals, unstable molecules that cause cell damage. Vitamin C-rich foods include fruits -- particularly citrus, broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts and potatoes. The RDA for adults 19 years of age and older is 75 milligrams a day for women and 90 milligrams for men. One medium orange, for example, contains 70 milligrams of vitamin C, and a 3/4-cup serving of orange juice contains 93 milligrams.




Vitamin B-6

Vitamin B-6 is required for production of several neurotransmitters, including dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin and GABA. Confusion, or lack of concentration, can be a symptom of serious vitamin B-6 deficiency. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that carry signals between neurons -- specialized cells that send and receive electrical signals within your body. Good food sources of vitamin B-6 include legumes, soy products, fish, poultry, meat, potatoes, bananas and watermelons. For men and women age 19 to 50 years, the RDA is 1.3 milligrams per day. The RDA for adults 51 years and older is 1.5 milligrams for women and 1.7 milligrams for men. A 1-cup serving of canned chickpeas, for example, would contain 1.1 milligrams of vitamin B-6.

Vitamin B-12

Getting sufficient vitamin B-12 is vital for ensuring your brain's proper function. Vitamin B-12 deficiency affects 10 to 15 percent of adults over the age of 60, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. When you lack sufficient vitamin B-12, nerves' myelin sheath, which is like the coating around an electrical wire, is disturbed, resulting in problems with concentration, memory loss, disorientation and dementia. Good food sources of vitamin B-12 include milk, cheese, fortified cereals, fish, poultry, egg and meat. The RDA for men and women age 14 and older is 2.4 micrograms daily. A 3-ounce serving of light tuna canned in water, for example, contains 2.5 micrograms of vitamin B-12.


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The Best Brain Food in the World

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The Best Brain Food in the World

The brain has many nutritional requirements that help it perform its roles. It requires glucose as an energy source, a compound that is easily metabolized from carbohydrates. Various vitamins and antioxidants help protect the brain from injury, while certain vitamins and fatty acids also carry out specific roles that help brains cells function. The best brain foods contain many of these important nutrients in an easily digestible form.



Whole-grain Breads

The Best Brain Food in the World
Slices of whole grain bread. Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
Cooked and ground whole grains, such as wheat, oatmeal, barley and millet, are healthy carbohydrates that can be digested quickly to yield glucose sugar. A convenient way to consume whole grains is as baked breads, although crackers and cereals can be just as nutritious. Information described in “Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism” points to glucose as the main fuel for the brain, with daily consumption of at least 100 g of carbohydrates needed to provide enough glucose to power brain functions. Whole grains are also good sources of B vitamins, selenium and soluble fiber. Soluble fiber can regulate blood cholesterol levels, which reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases and brain injury, such as stroke.

Fatty Fish

The Best Brain Food in the World
A close up of fried herring. Photo Credit Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
Fatty fish -- such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring and sardines -- are rich sources of essential fatty acids. Perhaps the most important of these are omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain and nervous system function. A study in “Biochemical, Physiological and Molecular Aspects of Human Nutrition” reports that omega-3 fatty acids are required for myelin synthesis; myelin is the protective sheath around nerves that allows for speedy flow of brain impulses. Further, omega-3 fatty acids play crucial roles in behavior and cognition; deficiencies have been associated with depression, dyslexia and attention-deficit disorders.





Antioxidant-rich Berries

The Best Brain Food in the World
Berries for sale at a market. Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
Blueberries are especially rich in antioxidants, which act to protect blood vessels and the brain from the oxidative stress created by free radicals. One of the antioxidants is vitamin E, which can combat age-related loss of cognitive abilities. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Barcelona, Spain, and published in “Nutritional Neuroscience” in 2005 found that diets rich in blueberries significantly improved the learning capacity, memory and motor skills of aging rats. Further, the anthocyanins in blueberries were found to promote new neuron growth in the amygdala region of the brain.

Nuts and Seeds

The Best Brain Food in the World
A close up of raw almonds. Photo Credit George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images
Many nuts and seeds are good sources of protein, minerals, vitamin E, omega-6 fatty acids and some essential amino acids. As an example, pumpkin and sesame seeds are both rich in tyrosine, the amino acid required for dopamine synthesis. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and coordinates movement. Many nuts and seeds are good sources of B vitamins. Information published in “Vitamins: Fundamental Aspects in Nutrition and Health” indicates that vitamin B-6 is needed to produce dopamine and serotonin, which are both essential for communication between neurons. Folic acid is needed by the brain to maintain memory and concentration. Vitamin B-12 is associated with higher brain functions, and its deficiency leads to symptoms very similar to Alzheimer’s disease. Examples of particularly healthy nuts and seeds include walnuts, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, flaxseeds and sunflower seeds.

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Organosolv delignification of agricultural residues (date palm fronds, Phoenix dactylifera L.) of the United Arab Emirates

Author
Iwona Cybulska, Grzegorz P. Brudecki, Joanna Zembrzuska, Jens Ejbye Schmidt, Celia Garcia-Banos Lopez and Mette Hedegaard Thomsen
Applied Energy, 2017, vol. 185, issue P2, pages 1040-1050

Abstract: Date palm fronds (primary agricultural residue of the United Arab Emirates) were used as a feedstock in an ethanol–water organosolv delignification process to generate organosolv lignin (OSL) and enzymatically digestible cellulose-rich pulp. Conditions of the treatment (temperature, catalyst concentration and amount of ethanol in the digesting solvent mixture) were screened and preliminarily optimized for OSL recovery and digestibility of the cellulose-rich pulp as primary and secondary response variables, respectively. OSL recovery was positively influenced only by temperature (140–200°C), while the digestibility of the cellulose pulp was positively influenced by temperature and negatively influenced by ethanol content in the digesting solvent. Maximum production of 12.93g lignin/100g RM (raw material) and 21.38g glucose/100g RM was achieved. Xylan losses reached up to 70%, increasing with temperature. Addition of the catalyst (sulfuric acid) was found to have no significant influence on any of the responses investigated.
Keywords: Organosolv; Delignification; Date palm; Lignin; Cellulose (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Sustainable wood waste management in Nigeria

Author
Olawale and Elegbede Isa Olalekan(isaelegbede@gmail.com)
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Environmental & Socio-economic Studies, 2016, vol. 4, issue 3, pages 1-9

Abstract: Wood industries produce large volumes of residues which must be utilized, marketed or properly disposed of. Heaps of wood residues are common features in wood industries throughout the year. In Nigeria, this residue is generally regarded as waste and this has led to open burning practices, dumping in water bodies or dumping in an open area which constitutes environmental pollution. Sawmills in Nigeria generated over 1,000,000 m3 of wood waste in 2010 while about 5000 m3 of waste was generated in plywood mills. Nigeria generates about 1.8 million tons of sawdust annually and 5.2 million tons of wood wastes. The impact of improper disposal of waste wood on the environment affects both the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Also burning of waste wood releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere causing various health issues. Reuse/recycling of these wood residues in Nigeria will reduce the pressure on our ever decreasing forests, reduce environmental pollution, create wealth and employment. The literature available on this subject was reviewed and this article, therefore, focuses on the various methods of wood waste disposal and its utilization in Nigerian wood industries, the effects of wood waste on the environment as well as on human health and the benefits of proper wood waste management practices.
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Chemical Analysis of Different Parts of Date Palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) Using Ultimate, Proximate and Thermo-Gravimetric Techniques for Energy Production

Author
Ramadan A. Nasser (nasser67@ksu.edu.sa), Mohamed Z. M. Salem(zidan_forest@yahoo.com), Salim Hiziroglu (salim.hiziroglu@okstate.edu), Hamad A. Al-Mefarrej (mefarrej@ksu.edu.sa), Ahmed S. Mohareb (ahmed_mohareb@yahoo.com), Manawwer Alam (malamitd@gmail.com) and Ibrahim M. Aref (iaref@ksu.edu.sa)
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Energies, 2016, vol. 9, issue 5, pages 1-14

Abstract: The objective of the study was to analyze chemical structure of date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) by employing ultimate, proximate and thermo-gravimetric techniques. Samples from different anatomical parts of date palm, namely trunk, frond base, frond midrib, leaflets, coir, fruit stem, date stone, and fruit empty bunches were considered for the experiments. Based on the findings in this work palm leaflet samples gave the highest amount of extractives content (32.9%), followed by date palm stone specimens with 31.5%. Cellulose content values of 32.8% and 47.5% were obtained for date palm stone and palm coir samples, respectively. Overall the hemicellulose contents of all samples were relatively similar to those of typical wood or non-wood lignocellulosic materials with the two exceptions of palm coir and palm leaflets. Both palm coir and palm leaflet specimens had 12.6% and 16.1% hemicellulose content. Volatile matter values of 74.3% and 87.5% were determined for leaflets and fruit empty bunch samples. The ash content of the samples ranged from 1.4% for date stone to 15.2% for palm leaflet samples. The thermal decomposition was completed below a temperature of 500 °C with an exception of those samples taken from palm leaflets. Taken together the data indicate that date palm stone and palm coir revealed could be more viable for renewable energy production than the other specimens considered in this work.
Keywords: date palm; ultamiate analysis; proximate analysis; energy; thermo-gravimatric analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Fasting for Runners

Author BY   ANDREA CESPEDES  Food is fuel, especially for serious runners who need a lot of energy. It may seem counterintuiti...