August 2014

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Good days and bad days in dementia

The August International Psychogeriatrics Article of the Month is entitled ‘Good days and bad days in dementia: a qualitative chart review of variable symptom expression’ by Kenneth Rockwood, Sherri Fay, Laura Hamilton, Elyse Ross and Paige Moorhouse.…

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Land Use vs. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Localising Livestock Feed Production

Soya beans is an important protein feedstuff for livestock. It is common practice that farmers would produce grains for livestock and import soya beans from other farms (mainly from South America). But this practice, which disconnects the production of grains and protein crops, reduces the effectiveness of some ecological functions (e.g. nutrient cycling and pest control) that could mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock production. Moreover, soya bean production and expansion in South America is linked to GHG emissions resulting from deforestation in that region.

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Commemorating the Emperor Augustus with
The Journal of Roman Studies

August 19th 2014 marks two thousand years since the death of the Roman emperor Augustus. The commemorations may not be as lavish as in 1938, when the Italian government celebrated the bi-millennium of his birth with a major exhibition, but there is still a great deal of Augustus-related activity taking place (comprehensively documented on Penny Goodman’s site.…

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Mixed crop-livestock farming systems: a sustainable way to produce beef?

Mixed crop–livestock farming has gained broad consensus as an economically and environmentally sustainable farming system. But while such a farming system could ideally reduce both the inputs needed for production as well as fluxes of nutrients towards the atmosphere and hydrosphere, there seems to be a gap between the conceptual model and observations in commercial farms

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Eating away from home increases calorie and saturated fat intake

Eating meals and other foods from fast-food and full-service restaurants appears to be associated with increased calorie intake for adults, as well as a higher intake of saturated fat and sodium, according to a study conducted by Drs Binh Nguyen and Lisa Powell of the American Cancer Society and University of Illinois published in Public Heath Nutrition.…

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Death and Democracy

What is the relationship between the death penalty and constitutional democracy? The abolition of the death penalty across the West and most other democracies, means that the United States is routinely cast as the exception that proves the rule:  the death penalty is inconsistent with the humanist and enlightenment values that mark liberal democracy.…

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