Forecasting and Hedging Crop Input Prices

Replaced with edited version of paper 12/23/08.Farm Management,

Social attention during object engagement: Toward a cross-species measure of preferential social orienting

BACKGROUND: A central challenge in preclinical research investigating the biology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the translation of ASD-related social phenotypes across humans and animal models. Social orienting, an observable, evolutionarily conserved behavior, represents a promising cross-species ASD phenotype given that disrupted social orienting is an early-emerging ASD feature with evidence for predicting familial recurrence. Here, we adapt a competing-stimulus social orienting task from domesticated dogs to naturalistic play behavior in human toddlers and test whether this approach indexes decreased social orienting in ASD. METHODS: Play behavior was coded from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) in two samples of toddlers, each with and without ASD. Sample 1 (n = 16) consisted of community-ascertained research participants, while Sample 2 involved a prospective study of infants at a high or low familial liability for ASD (n = 67). Coding quantified the child\u27s looks towards the experimenter and caregiver, a social stimulus, while playing with high-interest toys, a non-social stimulus. A competing-stimulus measure of Social Attention During Object Engagement (SADOE) was calculated by dividing the number of social looks by total time spent playing with toys. SADOE was compared based on ASD diagnosis and differing familial liability for ASD. RESULTS: In both samples, toddlers with ASD exhibited significantly lower SADOE compared to toddlers without ASD, with large effect sizes (Hedges\u27 g ≥ 0.92) driven by a lower frequency of child-initiated spontaneous looks. Among toddlers at high familial likelihood of ASD, toddlers with ASD showed lower SADOE than toddlers without ASD, while SADOE did not differ based on presence or absence of familial ASD risk alone. SADOE correlated negatively with ADOS social affect calibrated severity scores and positively with the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales social subscale. In a binary logistic regression model, SADOE alone correctly classified 74.1% of cases, which rose to 85.2% when combined with cognitive development. CONCLUSIONS: This work suggests that a brief behavioral measure pitting a high-interest nonsocial stimulus against the innate draw of social partners can serve as a feasible cross-species measure of social orienting, with implications for genetically informative behavioral phenotyping of social deficits in ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders

Autonomous in situ calibration of ion‐sensitive field effect transistor pH sensors

Ion‐sensitive field effect transistor‐based pH sensors have been shown to perform well in high frequency and long‐term ocean sampling regimes. The Honeywell Durafet is widely used due to its stability, fast response, and characterization over a large range of oceanic conditions. However, potentiometric pH monitoring is inherently complicated by the fact that the sensors require careful calibration. Offsets in calibration coefficients have been observed when comparing laboratory to field‐based calibrations and prior work has led to the recommendation that an in situ calibration be performed based on comparison to discrete samples. Here, we describe our work toward a self‐calibration apparatus integrated into a SeapHOx pH, dissolved oxygen, and CTD sensor package. This Self‐Calibrating SeapHOx is capable of autonomously recording calibration values from a high quality, traceable, primary reference standard: equimolar tris buffer. The Self‐Calibrating SeapHOx\u27s functionality was demonstrated in a 6‐d test in a seawater tank at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (La Jolla, California, U.S.A.) and was successfully deployed for 2 weeks on a shallow, coral reef flat (Lizard Island, Australia). During the latter deployment, the tris‐based self‐calibration using 15 on‐board samples exhibited superior reproducibility to the standard spectrophotometric pH‐based calibration using \u3e 100 discrete samples. Standard deviations of calibration pH using tris ranged from 0.002 to 0.005 whereas they ranged from 0.006 to 0.009 for the standard spectrophotometric pH‐based method; the two independent calibration methods resulted in a mean pH difference of 0.008. We anticipate that the Self‐Calibrating SeapHOx will be capable of autonomously providing climate quality pH data, directly linked to a primary seawater pH standard, and with improvements over standard calibration techniques

Correlation between Advanced Dental Admission Test performance and dental MATCH success

Purpose/Objectives The Advanced Dental Admissions Test was developed in 2016 to aid residency programs evaluate qualified applicants. Since its conception, however, there have been no studies seeking to evaluate the usefulness of the exam regarding an applicants’ ability to match with a residency program through the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program (MATCH). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the Advanced Dental Admission Test performance on student MATCH success into a post-doctoral pediatric residency program. Methods This retrospective study evaluated the academic records of pediatric residency applicants using the ADEA PASS and MATCH program between 2017 and 2019. Five scholastic and 7 demographic variables were extracted from student ADEA PASS applications. Applicant MATCH status and preference was obtained from the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program. Descriptive statistics for each application cycle was calculated and used to evaluate applicant demographic and scholastic data. Correlation coefficients assessed for associations between scholastic/demographic factors and MATCH status/preference. Logistic regression models estimated the probability of MATCH status/preference. Significance was set at 5%. Results An association was found between ADAT scores and MATCH status, but the influence was minimal (odds ratio: 1.004, 95% confidence interval: 1.001-1.008). Applicant age (P < 0.0216) and dental schools that ranked students (P < 0.0002) were the most significant factors for MATCH status and preference, respectively. Conclusions ADAT scores played a minimal role in applicants matching to pediatric residency programs. Applicant age and schools that provide class ranks were found to be significant predictors when considering MATCH status and preference to pediatric residency programs

Prevalence, knowledge, and lifestyle-associated risk factors of dyslipidemia among Ghanaian type-2 diabetes mellitus patients in rural and urban areas: A multicenter cross-sectional study

Background and Aims: Dyslipidemia in diabetes mellitus has been linked to unhealthy lifestyle and bad eating habits. However, this association has not been well studied among rural and urban Ghanaian populations. In this study, we determined the prevalence, knowledge, and lifestyle-associated risk factors of dyslipidemia among Ghanaian type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in rural and urban areas. Methods: This comparative multicentre-cross-sectional study recruited 228 T2DM outpatients attending the St. Michael Hospital, Pramso (rural) and Kumasi South Regional Hospital (urban), Ghana for routine check-ups. Self-structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic, knowledge, and lifestyle characteristics. Fasting blood samples were taken to measure lipid profiles. Dyslipidemia was defined per the American Diabetes Association criteria. All p \u3c 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia was 79/228 (34.7%). Dyslipidemia was more prevalent among urban participants 43 (18.9%) than rural participants 36 (15.8%). Twenty-seven (11.7%) had adequate knowledge about the risk factors, complications, and management of diabetes. Eating supper after 7 p.m. [adjusted odds ratio = 3.77, 95% confidence interval (1.70–8.37), p = 0.001] significantly increased one\u27s risk of having dyslipidemia by 3.8-fold compared to eating supper earlier (before 5 p.m.). Conclusion: Dyslipidemia is increasing among T2DM patients in both urban and rural areas and it\u27s independently influenced by eating supper after 7 p.m. Most participants were ignorant of the risk factors, complications, and management of diabetes. Adjusting eating habits and increasing diabetes awareness programs to sensitize the general public can mitigate the increasing prevalence of dyslipidemia in both urban and rural areas