Maximizing agricultural reuse of recycled nutrients: A spatially explicit assessment of environmental consequences and costs

Recovering nutrients from organic materials to reduce artificial fertilizer inputs requires the implementation of processing technologies and can involve considerable logistics and transportation costs. Reducing such costs by directly applying organic materials to agricultural land can contribute to pollution due to potential contaminants and unbalanced nutrient ratios. Assessing the cost of increased recycling requires a spatially explicit approach because availability of organic materials, nutrient demand and agro-ecosystem properties vary spatially. A multi-objective model was developed to estimate the trade-offs between costs of nutrient recovery and improvements in nutrient distribution for a case study area in The Netherlands. The evaluated recovery processes included solid-liquid separation followed by reverse osmosis to recover nutrients from pig manure which was compared to a conventional process via hygienisation and export. Results indicate that, even in a nutrient saturated area, replacement potential of artificial nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers through locally reclaimed nutrients is limited to about 17% N and 55% P. A cost optimum was found when about 48% of the initial pig manure quantities were processed via nutrient recovery and directed to land. Increasing manure processing for nutrient recovery led to a redistribution of nutrients and trace metals (zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu)), resulting in more localized concentration. Zn and Cu were enriched by about 8% and 2%, respectively, when maximizing nutrient recovery. Our generic model offers a methodology to assess the trade-offs between increased recycling and associated spatial effects to facilitate sustainable recycling infrastructures for achieving more circular agriculture.

Shifting towards optimized healthy and sustainable Dutch diets: impact on protein quality

PURPOSE

To reduce the environmental impact of Western diets, a reduction of meat consumption and a substitution by plant-based protein sources is needed. This protein transition will affect the quantity and quality of dietary protein. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the protein adequacy of diets optimized for nutritional health and diet-related greenhouse gas emission (GHGE).

METHODS

Data from 2150 adult participants of the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey were used, with diet assessed using two non-consecutive 24 h dietary recalls. Utilizable protein of current diets per day was based on meal composition and the Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score and was compared to protein requirements. Optimized diets were derived as linear combinations of current diets that minimized GHGE and maximized the Dutch Healthy Diet 2015 score, with/without constraints to keep dietary change within 33% of current consumption. Protein adequacy was evaluated in both current and optimized diets.

RESULTS

In all age and gender strata, the healthiest diets had higher GHGE, the most sustainable diets had the lowest dietary quality, though higher than current diets, and protein adequacy remained sufficient. When limiting dietary change to 33% of current consumption, in the most promising trade-off diet GHGE was reduced by 12-16%. The current diet provided 1.4-2.2 times the required amount of utilizable protein.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that a realistic aim for the next decade might be to reduce diet-related GHGE to 12-16% of the current levels without compromising protein adequacy and diet quality. To achieve global targets, upstream food system transformations are needed with subsequent dietary changes.

To which countries do European psychiatric trainees want to move to and why?

BACKGROUND

There is a shortage of psychiatrists worldwide. Within Europe, psychiatric trainees can move between countries, which increases the problem in some countries and alleviates it in others. However, little is known about the reasons psychiatric trainees move to another country.

METHODS

Survey of psychiatric trainees in 33 European countries, exploring how frequently psychiatric trainees have migrated or want to migrate, their reasons to stay and leave the country, and the countries where they come from and where they move to. A 61-item self-report questionnaire was developed, covering questions about their demographics, experiences of short-term mobility (from 3 months up to 1 year), experiences of long-term migration (of more than 1 year) and their attitudes towards migration.

RESULTS

A total of 2281 psychiatric trainees in Europe participated in the survey, of which 72.0% have 'ever' considered to move to a different country in their future, 53.5% were considering it 'now', at the time of the survey, and 13.3% had already moved country. For these immigrant trainees, academic was the main reason they gave to move from their country of origin. For all trainees, the overall main reason for which they would leave was financial (34.4%), especially in those with lower (<500€) incomes (58.1%), whereas in those with higher (>2500€) incomes, personal reasons were paramount (44.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

A high number of psychiatric trainees considered moving to another country, and their motivation largely reflects the substantial salary differences. These findings suggest tackling financial conditions and academic opportunities.

The psychiatry recruitment crisis across Europe: Evaluation by the European Federation of psychiatric trainees

Introduction

Recruitment of medical students and junior doctors in to psychiatry is a long-standing concern in many countries, with low proportions of medical graduates choosing it as a specialty and ongoing stigma from within the medical profession. In some countries the reverse problem is the case, with too many doctors wishing to enter psychiatry, and insufficient training places available.

Objectives

To understand the current situation within Europe with regards to recruitment in to psychiatry and to identify existing recruitment initiatives.

Methods

The European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees conducts an annual survey of all member organisations. A delegate of each national association of psychiatric trainees is asked to identify if their country has a problem with recruitment and if so, whether there were too many or too few applicants for training places. Delegates from countries with recruitment initiatives were contacted to provide further details.

Results

In 2014, a total of 31 countries completed the survey, with 17 stating that too few medical practitioners choose psychiatry. In total 8 countries with recruitment problems reported that initiatives exist to encourage doctors to enter psychiatric training. Of these, 7 responded to describe the initiatives, which included national recruitment strategies, financial incentives, careers fairs, mentoring schemes and a whole host of other projects.

Conclusions

Recruitment in to psychiatry remains a serious problem in a significant proportion of European countries, but a wide range of initiatives exist which aim to combat this shortfall. It will be important over the coming years to establish which initiatives are most effective at increasing recruitment.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Young Psychiatrists’ Network. Between Past and Future

The Young Psychiatrists’ Network (YPN) is a rapidly growing network of Early Career Psychiatrists (till 40 years of age or 5 years since completion of specialty – unless otherwise specified in home country) and Psychiatric trainees.

Its aims include, global development of psychiatry through close collaboration of YPs worldwide, expanding knowledge and sharing experiences, and facilitating the evolution of YPs from different parts of the world and improvement of their knowledge, skills and abilities.

From 30th September – 4th October the 5th YPN Meeting was held in Porto Heli in Greece. It was the biggest Young Psychiatrists Meeting ever held with more than 150 participants from 42 world countries and it was an absolute success. The state of the art scientific program included plenary lectures by renowned psychiatrists such as Prof. Nik. Bouras and Prof. Martin Prince, symposiums and workshops.

In conjunction with the 5th YPN Meeting from 27–30 September, a leadership course directed by Prof. N. Sartorius and Prof. K.H. Wittchen was held in Athens with the participation of 16 participants from 11 world countries.

The next meeting will be in Italy on September 2016.

Future plans include research collaboration, regional meetings and promoting the best possible work and educational conditions for young psychiatrists from all over the world.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

A generic bio-economic farm model for environmental and economic assessment of agricultural systems

Bio-economic farm models are tools to evaluate ex-post or to assess ex-ante the impact of policy and technology change on agriculture, economics and environment. Recently, various BEFMs have been developed, often for one purpose or location, but hardly any of these models are re-used later for other purposes or locations. The Farm System Simulator (FSSIM) provides a generic framework enabling the application of BEFMs under various situations and for different purposes (generating supply response functions and detailed regional or farm type assessments). FSSIM is set up as a component-based framework with components representing farmer objectives, risk, calibration, policies, current activities, alternative activities and different types of activities (e.g., annual and perennial cropping and livestock). The generic nature of FSSIM is evaluated using five criteria by examining its applications. FSSIM has been applied for different climate zones and soil types (criterion 1) and to a range of different farm types (criterion 2) with different specializations, intensities and sizes. In most applications FSSIM has been used to assess the effects of policy changes and in two applications to assess the impact of technological innovations (criterion 3). In the various applications, different data sources, level of detail (e.g., criterion 4) and model configurations have been used. FSSIM has been linked to an economic and several biophysical models (criterion 5). The model is available for applications to other conditions and research issues, and it is open to be further tested and to be extended with new components, indicators or linkages to other models.

A three-dimensional finite element model of maximal grip loading in the human wrist

The aim of this work was to create an anatomically accurate three-dimensional finite element model of the wrist, applying subject-specific loading and quantifying the internal load transfer through the joint during maximal grip. For three subjects, representing the anatomical variation at the wrist, loading on each digit was measured during a maximal grip strength test with simultaneous motion capture. The internal metacarpophalangeal joint load was calculated using a biomechanical model. High-resolution magnetic resonance scans were acquired to quantify bone geometry. Finite element analysis was performed, with ligaments and tendons added, to calculate the internal load distribution. It was found that for the maximal grip the thumb carried the highest load, an average of 72.2 +/- 20.1 N in the neutral position. Results from the finite element model suggested that the highest regions of stress were located at the radial aspect of the carpus. Most of the load was transmitted through the radius, 87.5 per cent, as opposed to 12.5 per cent through the ulna with the wrist in a neutral position. A fully three-dimensional finite element analysis of the wrist using subject-specific anatomy and loading conditions was performed. The study emphasizes the importance of modelling a large ensemble of subjects in order to capture the spectrum of the load transfer through the wrist due to anatomical variation.

Stereoselective differences in the vasorelaxing effects of S(+) and R(-) ketamine on rat isolated aorta

BACKGROUND

S(+) ketamine, because of its higher anesthetic potency and lower risk of psychotomimetic reactions, has been suggested to be superior to presently available racemic ketamine. The racemate is a direct vasodilator in vivo, and thus the authors investigated the vasorelaxing effects of ketamine enantiomers on rat aorta.

METHODS

Rat isolated aortic rings with and without endothelium were contracted with 3 x 10(-7) M norepinephrine. Then 10(-5) to 3 x 10(-3) M S(+), R(-), or racemic ketamine were added cumulatively. Vascular responses to ketamine were further studied in rings pretreated with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (NNLA), the adenosine triphosphate-sensitive K+ channel antagonist glibenclamide, and the L-type calcium channel blocking agent D888.

RESULTS

Ketamine enantiomers and the racemate produced concentration-dependent vasorelaxation. The relaxing effect of S(+) ketamine was significantly weaker compared with R(-) ketamine and the racemate reflected by the half-maximum effective concentration (EC50) values of 11.6 x 10(-4), 4.8 x 10(-4), and 6 x 10(-4) M, respectively. Removal of the endothelium and NNLA or glibenclamide pretreatment did not significantly alter the vasorelaxing effect of ketamine. In contrast, D888 pretreatment significantly shifted the concentration-effect curves of both S(+) and R(-) ketamine rightward (EC50 values of 18.9 x 10(-4) and 8.5 x 10(-4) M, respectively), whereas the difference between the isomers was not affected.

CONCLUSIONS

Vasorelaxation by ketamine enantiomers is quantitatively stereoselective: The effect of S(+)ketamine is significantly weaker compared with that of the racemate and R(-) ketamine. This stereoselective difference is not due to nitric oxide release, activation of adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channels, or differential inhibition of L-type calcium channels.