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This paper asks what the regulatory assessment of the novel processed meat analogue products reveals about the nature of food regulation in Australia. We analyse Food Standards Australia and New Zealand’s (‘FSANZ’) assessment of the recent application by Californian technology company Impossible Foods Inc to sell its proprietary burger products which contain a genetically modified protein that is said to make their burger ‘bleed’. We show that FSANZ’s assessment process has little capacity to engage with broader and longer term, social, ecological and public health implications of novel foods and changing food markets. FSANZ’s regulatory pre-approval process focuses almost exclusively on the safety of individual ingredients rather than the impact of novel foods on the food supply as whole and leaves broader issues to the market and consumer choice with limited support from laws addressing misleading labelling and marketing of foods. Extending the capacity of Australia’s regulatory regime for food to deal with more than the safety of individual ingredients will become more urgent as other novel foods, such as cell-based meats, enter the marketplace.

The past two decades have seen expansion of childhood vaccination programmes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We quantify the health impact of these programmes by estimating the deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) averted by vaccination against ten pathogens in 98 LMICs between 2000 and 2030.

ABSTRACTProponents and developers of cell-cultured animal material (i.e. lab-grown meat) vest the innovation with the capacity to transform food systems by replacing, or significantly reducing, intensive use of animals in food systems. This article argues that cell-cultured animal material reflects lock-in to the incumbent, productivist regime for agricultural innovation. First, the article positions cell-cultured animal material as broadly consistent with the paradigm underlying intensive animal agriculture and related innovations. Secondly, it 2 explores how intellectual property has become the regulation-by-default of cell-cultured animal material reinforcing well-known limits of intellectual property rights to transform agricultural systems. Thirdly, it considers the broader regulatory context for cell-cultured animal material. The article shows how the claims by proponents and the responses from incumbent industry actors have narrowed regulatory responses preventing regulators from engaging with deeper questions about, and pathways for, food systems transformation; and, it concludes by briefly considering an alternate regulatory approach to cell-cultured animal material.

Our current knowledge of host–virus interactions in biofilms is limited to computational predictions based on laboratory experiments with a small number of cultured bacteria. However, natural biofilms are diverse and chiefly composed of uncultured bacteria and archaea with no viral infection patterns and lifestyle predictions described to date. Herein, we predict the first DNA sequence-based host–virus interactions in a natural biofilm. Using single-cell genomics and metagenomics applied to a hot spring mat of the Cone Pool in Mono County, California, we provide insights into virus–host range, lifestyle and distribution across different mat layers. Thirty-four out of 130 single cells contained at least one viral contig (26%), which, together with the metagenome-assembled genomes, resulted in detection of 59 viruses linked to 34 host species. Analysis of single-cell amplification kinetics revealed a lack of active viral replication on the single-cell level. These findings were further supported by mapping metagenomic reads from different mat layers to the obtained host–virus pairs, which indicated a low copy number of viral genomes compared to their hosts. Lastly, the metagenomic data revealed high layer specificity of viruses, suggesting limited diffusion to other mat layers. Taken together, these observations indicate that in low mobility environments with high microbial abundance, lysogeny is the predominant viral lifestyle, in line with the previously proposed “Piggyback-the-Winner” theory.

Our current knowledge of host–virus interactions in biofilms is limited to computational predictions based on laboratory experiments with a small number of cultured bacteria. However, natural biofilms are diverse and chiefly composed of uncultured bacteria and archaea with no viral infection patterns and lifestyle predictions described to date. Herein, we predict the first DNA sequence-based host–virus interactions in a natural biofilm. Using single-cell genomics and metagenomics applied to a hot spring mat of the Cone Pool in Mono County, California, we provide insights into virus–host range, lifestyle and distribution across different mat layers. Thirty-four out of 130 single cells contained at least one viral contig (26%), which, together with the metagenome-assembled genomes, resulted in detection of 59 viruses linked to 34 host species. Analysis of single-cell amplification kinetics revealed a lack of active viral replication on the single-cell level. These findings were further supported by mapping metagenomic reads from different mat layers to the obtained host–virus pairs, which indicated a low copy number of viral genomes compared to their hosts. Lastly, the metagenomic data revealed high layer specificity of viruses, suggesting limited diffusion to other mat layers. Taken together, these observations indicate that in low mobility environments with high microbial abundance, lysogeny is the predominant viral lifestyle, in line with the previously proposed “Piggyback-the-Winner” theory.

The Paris Agreement reaffirmed the role of emissions trading as an important policy tool for mitigating climate change. Equally, emissions trading schemes (ETSs) are increasingly being developed and interlinked. Despite these developments, no agreement has been reached regarding the legal character of what is being traded. Generally, ETSs involve tradeable statutory entitlements that take the form of emission allowances or carbon credits. Legal uncertainty surrounds whether emission entitlements are capable of constituting property; and, if so, what rights, corresponding duties and liabilities they confer on holders. In this article, the authors argue that the legal character of emissions entitlements can influence the functioning of emissions markets, which has ramifications for achieving the environmental goals of ETSs. The authors identify the methods that legislatures could adopt to characterise emission entitlements, and evaluate limitations of the current approaches. To conclude, the authors explore how top-down, international standards could harmonise and clarify the legal nature of emission entitlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTThis article examines the international regulatory framework for large-scale agricultural land investments (‘LSALIs’). Population growth, natural resource scarcity, and the financial and food price crises have made financial actors revise their long-held hesitation towards direct investment in farmland. Although these investments could inject much-needed capital into rural areas, LSALIs have been connected with grievous human rights violations and environmental degradation. This article finds that the instruments designed to promote socially and environmentally responsible LSALIs have increasing levels of legitimacy but lack accountability mechanisms. As a result, the emerging regulatory framework for LSALIs does not create the balance required between protecting investors from host state interference and ensuring socially and environmentally responsible agricultural investments.

Information about the distribution of causes of and time trends for child mortality should be periodically updated. We report the latest estimates of causes of child mortality in 2010 with time trends since 2000.

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) are emerging as one of the most promising means to prevent pediatric disease. The 7-valent PCV (PCV-7) has been extensively evaluated in clinical trials, and recent evidence from the introduction of PCV-7 through national immunization programs has demonstrated impact on pneumococcal disease.

Up-to-date information on the causes of child deaths is crucial to guide global efforts to improve child survival. We report new estimates for 2008 of the major causes of death in children younger than 5 years.

Objectives. We compared the prevalence of measles immunization determined by serology with the prevalence of measles immunization determined by immunization records, and identified factors predictive of measles immunization among a sample of children from two Chicago communities.Methods. We collected demographic information and blood specimens from a sample of children aged 12–71 months in two Chicago communities at risk for low measles immunization coverage levels. We collected immunization information from provider records, parent-held records, and the statewide immunization registry. We compared evidence of immunization determined by serology with evidence of immunization from these three sources of immunization records.Results. The sample of children from the two communities had serologic measles immunity levels of 85% and 90%. Significantly fewer children had evidence of immunization by record in both communities (45% and 63%, respectively).Conclusions. Immunization coverage levels determined using immunization records were significantly lower than immunization coverage determined using serology. A fully populated immunization registry used by all immunization providers could prevent the problems of record loss and scatter.

In contrast to previous work using the psychophysical methodology, participants in the present work were instead asked to self-adjust and self-regulate their exertion level during simple finger exertions aimed at deriving maximum acceptable limits (MALs). Three methods to determine MALs from a sequence of exertions are described and compared. The effects of trial durations and intersession repeatability were also investigated. All analysis methods produced comparable MAL estimates, within 0.5 N. MALs obtained from the first 5 minutes of data were 2.2% higher than those from the entire 25-minute session, but this difference was not significant. Differences between sessions averaged 4%, which was not significant. The results suggest the self-regulating method can produce repeatable estimates of subjective finger force limits, that these limits are insensitive to the analysis method used for determination, and that it may be possible to obtain repeatable values with relatively brief experimental sessions.

The Human Factors Division at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is an eclectic group, reflecting the multidisciplinary demands typically made upon an HF organization. The objective in these five presentations is to paint a picture of the full spectrum of human factors practiced in this unique government regulatory agency. The participants will each describe their work and illustrate the day-to-day characteristics of their human factors analyses. The range of discussions will address the overlay and integration of professional practice into policy, the regulatory environment, litigation support, and representation of the Agency to the interests of corporate, consumer, trade, and standards organizations.

The poem "GRITS N' BLUE FIRE," by Hope Johnson is presented. First Line: a. sprung; Last Line: the grits.

BackgroundAn estimated 23 million infants are still not being benefitted from routine immunization services. We assessed how many children failed to be fully immunized even though they or their mothers were in contact with health services to receive other interventions.DesignFourteen countries with Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys carried out after 2000 and with coverage for DPT (Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis) vaccine below 70% were selected. We defined full immunization coverage (FIC) as having received one dose of BCG (bacille Calmette-Guérin), one dose of measles, three doses of polio, and three doses of DPT vaccines. We tabulated FIC against: antenatal care (ANC), skilled birth attendance (SBA), postnatal care for the mother (PNC), vitamin A supplementation (VitA) for the child, and sleeping under an insecticide-treated bed-net (ITN). Missed opportunities were defined as the percentage of children who failed to be fully immunized among those receiving one or more other interventions.ResultsChildren who received other health interventions were also more likely to be fully immunized. In nearly all countries, FIC was lowest among children born to mothers who failed to attend ANC, and highest when the mother had four or more ANC visits Côte d'Ivoire presented the largest difference in FIC: 54 percentage points (pp) between having four or more ANC visits and lack of ANC. SBA was also related with higher FIC. For instance, the coverage in children without SBA was 36 pp lower than for those with SBA in Nigeria. The largest absolute difference on FIC in relation to PNC was observed for Ethiopia: 31 pp between those without and with PNC. FIC was also positively related with having received VitA. The largest absolute difference was observed in DR Congo: 41 pp. The differences in FIC among whether or not children slept under ITN were much smaller than for other interventions. Haiti presented the largest absolute difference: 16 pp.ConclusionsOur results show the need to develop and implement strategies to vaccinate all children who contact health services in order to receive other interventions.

The poem "4 HOURS LOST IN OZONE PARK," by Hope Johnson is presented. First Line: a soft-purple close, ripe. Mango-middle resting; Last Line: over his chest, and I still see morning dewy.