A PROBIT MODEL ANALYSIS OF FACTORS AFFECTING CONSUMPTION OF FRESH SWEET CORN IN MAJOR U.S. MARKETS

In an effort to more effectively utilize its resources to promote fresh sweet corn, the Fresh Supersweet Corn Council contracted with the Florida Agricultural Market Research Center (FAMRC) of the University of Florida to conduct a comprehensive consumer survey. The consumer survey was designed to investigate consumer preferences, attitudes, and behavior regarding the purchase and consumption of fresh sweet corn. A total of 1,031 consumer telephone interviews were conducted in Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia between September 7 and November 3, 2001. Respondents' revealed very limited consumption in the winter, spring, and fall seasons and consumers' perceptions that sweet corn is not available in these seasons. Probit models are estimated to determine effects of seasonalityConsumer/Household Economics,

Commercial Fishing Port Development in North Florida

The author has identified the following significant results. Seven major counties were examined: Escambia, Bay, Gulf, Franklin, Wakulla, Nassau, and Duval. Population and economic activity were reviewed, along with commercial fishing and port facilities. Recommendations for five northwest Florida counties were based on interpretation of aerial photographs, satellite imagery, an aerial survey site visit, and published data. Major needs in Pensacola included docking, ice supply, and net and engine repair services. Costs for additional docks, an ice plant, and gear storage were estimated at $3,658,600. Port users in Panama City identified additional docking and gear storage as primary needs, along with gear repair and a marine railway. Estimated costs for dock and gear storage were$2,860,000. Added docking, gear storage, and ice supply, as well as gear electronics and diesel repair were needed in Port St. Joe. Costs were calculated at $1,231,500. Franklin County has three ports (Apalachicola -$1,107,000 for docks and gear storage, Eastpoint - $420,000 for additional docks, and Carrabella -$2,824,100 for docks, gear storage, and ice plant)

A Consumer Test of Citrus Drinks made from Comminuted Whole Citrus Fruit

Consumer, Citrus, Whole Citrus Fruit, Citrus Fruit, Consumer Test, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

A Consumer Test of Canned Seasoned Salad Tomatoes

Consumer, Canned Tomatoes, Salad Tomatoes, Seasoned Tomatoes, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Is lack of surgery for older breast cancer patients in the UK explained by patient choice or poor health? A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Older women have lower breast cancer surgery rates than younger women. UK policy states that differences in cancer treatment by age can only be justified by patient choice or poor health. METHODS: We investigate whether lack of surgery for older patients is explained by patient choice/poor health in a prospective cohort study of 800 women aged ≥70 years diagnosed with operable (stage 1-3a) breast cancer at 22 English breast cancer units in 2010-2013. DATA COLLECTION: interviews and case note review. OUTCOME MEASURE: surgery for operable (stage 1-3a) breast cancer <90 days of diagnosis. Logistic regression adjusts for age, health measures, tumour characteristics, socio-demographics and patient's/surgeon's perceived responsibility for treatment decisions. RESULTS: In the univariable analyses, increasing age predicts not undergoing surgery from the age of 75 years, compared with 70-74-year-olds. Adjusting for health measures and choice, only women aged ≥85 years have reduced odds of surgery (OR 0.18, 95% CI: 0.07-0.44). Each point increase in Activities of Daily Living score (worsening functional status) reduced the odds of surgery by over a fifth (OR 0.23, 95% CI: 0.15-0.35). Patient's role in the treatment decisions made no difference to whether they received surgery or not; those who were active/collaborative were as likely to get surgery as those who were passive, that is, left the decision up to the surgeon. CONCLUSION: Lower surgery rates, among older women with breast cancer, are unlikely to be due to patients actively opting out of having this treatment. However, poorer health explains the difference in surgery between 75-84-year-olds and younger women. Lack of surgery for women aged ≥85 years persists even when health and patient choice are adjusted for

Asking questions can help: development and preliminary evaluation of a question prompt list for palliative care patients

Question prompt lists (QPLs) have been shown to be an inexpensive and effective communication tool for patients in oncology consultations. We aimed to develop and pilot a QPL for palliative care (PC) patients. In order to identify suitable questions for inclusion in the QPL, we conducted focus groups and individual interviews with 19 patients, 24 carers and 22 PC health professionals. A further 21 health professionals reviewed the draft document. The draft QPL was piloted in 23 patients. In total, 112 questions were identified and grouped into eight categories. All participants felt that the QPL, in booklet form, could be a useful tool. Out of 23 patients in the pilot study, 22 agreed that the QPL was helpful, contained useful questions, was easy to understand and would be useful in the future. State anxiety (STAI) decreased after receiving the booklet and seeing the doctor in 16 out of 19 patients (overall anxiety decreased by a median of 8, IQR 1-13). Participants in the pilot study endorsed the inclusion of end-of-life issues in the QPL, despite some reservations expressed about this by health professionals in the individual interviews. We have identified a specific QPL that might facilitate useful dialogue between PC patients and their doctor. The QPL has strong support from patients, their carers and relevant health professionals

J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact

Long-term bed-rest is used to simulate the effect of spaceflight on the human body and test different kinds of countermeasures. The 2nd Berlin BedRest Study (BBR2-2) tested the efficacy of whole-body vibration in addition to high-load resisitance exercise in preventing bone loss during bed-rest. Here we present the protocol of the study and discuss its implementation. Twenty-four male subjects underwent 60-days of six-degree head down tilt bed-rest and were randomised to an inactive control group (CTR), a high-load resistive exercise group (RE) or a high-load resistive exercise with whole-body vibration group (RVE). Subsequent to events in the course of the study (e.g. subject withdrawal), 9 subjects participated in the CTR-group, 7 in the RVE-group and 8 (7 beyond bed-rest day-30) in the RE-group. Fluid intake, urine output and axiallary temperature increased during bed-rest (p or = .17). Body weight changes differed between groups (p < .0001) with decreases in the CTR-group, marginal decreases in the RE-group and the RVE-group displaying significant decreases in body-weight beyond bed-rest day-51 only. In light of events and experiences of the current study, recommendations on various aspects of bed-rest methodology are also discussed

Profiling allele-specific gene expression in brains from individuals with autism spectrum disorder reveals preferential minor allele usage.

One fundamental but understudied mechanism of gene regulation in disease is allele-specific expression (ASE), the preferential expression of one allele. We leveraged RNA-sequencing data from human brain to assess ASE in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). When ASE is observed in ASD, the allele with lower population frequency (minor allele) is preferentially more highly expressed than the major allele, opposite to the canonical pattern. Importantly, genes showing ASE in ASD are enriched in those downregulated in ASD postmortem brains and in genes harboring de novo mutations in ASD. Two regions, 14q32 and 15q11, containing all known orphan C/D box small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), are particularly enriched in shifts to higher minor allele expression. We demonstrate that this allele shifting enhances snoRNA-targeted splicing changes in ASD-related target genes in idiopathic ASD and 15q11-q13 duplication syndrome. Together, these results implicate allelic imbalance and dysregulation of orphan C/D box snoRNAs in ASD pathogenesis