Industry Association Influence Upon State Aquaculture Policy in the North Central Region

Author Institution: School of Natural Resources, The Ohio State UniversityStates within the North Central Region of the U.S. differ in their approaches to regulating the aquaculture industry. According to interest group theory, these policy differences may be attributable to differences in the abilities of state aquaculture associations to influence state policy makers. The influence abilities of six aquaculture industry associations were examined in relation to the corresponding state policy outputs. Influence was defined in terms of each group's relative cohesion, power, and access to policy makers at both the administrative and legislative levels. Each component was measured separately and subsequently aggregated to form an overall influence index for each association. State policy outputs were assessed by means of a matrix analysis which enabled the states to be ranked in order of regulatory control. A moderately positive relationship was found between association influence and state policy output. Power and access variables were indicated as the more important determinants of influence. Factors external to the groups themselves, such as the political and social cultures of the states, also played an important role in aquaculture association influence upon state-level policies

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Aquaculture Law in the North Central States: A Digest of State Statutes Pertaining to the Production and Marketing of Aquacultural Products

One of the barriers to the growth and development of the aquaculture industry in the 12-state North Central region is a lack of comprehensive information on the state laws and regulations that affect the industry. The North Central Regional Aquaculture Center and its advisory committees quickly recognized this problem and made it one of their highest priorities for research. Among the factors that cause the confusion are the many aspects or stages of producing and marketing aquacultural products. The long and complex chain of production, transportation and marketing may include issues such as land use planning and zoning, water pollution and state fisheries regulations, transportation requirements and food quality standards. Many public policies and a wide variety of public agencies are involved in regulating these aspects of aquacultural production and marketing

The impact of FADS genetic variants on ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism in African Americans

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Arachidonic acid (AA) is a long-chain omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) synthesized from the precursor dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) that plays a vital role in immunity and inflammation. Variants in the Fatty Acid Desaturase (<it>FADS</it>) family of genes on chromosome 11q have been shown to play a role in PUFA metabolism in populations of European and Asian ancestry; no work has been done in populations of African ancestry to date.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, we report that African Americans have significantly higher circulating levels of plasma AA (p = 1.35 × 10^-48) and lower DGLA levels (p = 9.80 × 10^-11) than European Americans. Tests for association in N = 329 individuals across 80 nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Fatty Acid Desaturase (<it>FADS</it>) locus revealed significant association with AA, DGLA and the AA/DGLA ratio, a measure of enzymatic efficiency, in both racial groups (peak signal p = 2.85 × 10^-16in African Americans, 2.68 × 10^-23in European Americans). Ancestry-related differences were observed at an upstream marker previously associated with AA levels (rs174537), wherein, 79-82% of African Americans carry two copies of the G allele compared to only 42-45% of European Americans. Importantly, the allelic effect of the G allele, which is associated with <it>enhanced </it>conversion of DGLA to AA, on enzymatic efficiency was similar in both groups.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We conclude that the impact of <it>FADS </it>genetic variants on PUFA metabolism, specifically AA levels, is likely more pronounced in African Americans due to the larger proportion of individuals carrying the genotype associated with increased FADS1 enzymatic conversion of DGLA to AA.</p

On-farm screening tests for beta-lactam residues in milk

The public expects and deserves a safe food supply. This includes food free of antibiotic residues. Congress has empowered the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to examine and closely monitor the use of animal drugs in dairy herds across the nation. This regulatory agency has the power of enforcement action.Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

The Linkage Between Neighborhood and Voluntary Association Patterns: a Comparison of Black and White Urban Populations

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68314/2/10.1177_089976407400300201.pd

The COSMIN checklist for evaluating the methodological quality of studies on measurement properties: A clarification of its content

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The COSMIN checklist (COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments) was developed in an international Delphi study to evaluate the methodological quality of studies on measurement properties of health-related patient reported outcomes (HR-PROs). In this paper, we explain our choices for the design requirements and preferred statistical methods for which no evidence is available in the literature or on which the Delphi panel members had substantial discussion.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The issues described in this paper are a reflection of the Delphi process in which 43 panel members participated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The topics discussed are internal consistency (relevance for reflective and formative models, and distinction with unidimensionality), content validity (judging relevance and comprehensiveness), hypotheses testing as an aspect of construct validity (specificity of hypotheses), criterion validity (relevance for PROs), and responsiveness (concept and relation to validity, and (in) appropriate measures).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We expect that this paper will contribute to a better understanding of the rationale behind the items, thereby enhancing the acceptance and use of the COSMIN checklist.</p

The North American tree-ring fire-scar network

Fire regimes in North American forests are diverse and modern fire records are often too short to capture important patterns, trends, feedbacks, and drivers of variability. Tree-ring fire scars provide valuable perspectives on fire regimes, including centuries-long records of fire year, season, frequency, severity, and size. Here, we introduce the newly compiled North American tree-ring fire-scar network (NAFSN), which contains 2562 sites, >37,000 fire-scarred trees, and covers large parts of North America. We investigate the NAFSN in terms of geography, sample depth, vegetation, topography, climate, and human land use. Fire scars are found in most ecoregions, from boreal forests in northern Alaska and Canada to subtropical forests in southern Florida and Mexico. The network includes 91 tree species, but is dominated by gymnosperms in the genus Pinus. Fire scars are found from sea level to >4000-m elevation and across a range of topographic settings that vary by ecoregion. Multiple regions are densely sampled (e.g., >1000 fire-scarred trees), enabling new spatial analyses such as reconstructions of area burned. To demonstrate the potential of the network, we compared the climate space of the NAFSN to those of modern fires and forests; the NAFSN spans a climate space largely representative of the forested areas in North America, with notable gaps in warmer tropical climates. Modern fires are burning in similar climate spaces as historical fires, but disproportionately in warmer regions compared to the historical record, possibly related to under-sampling of warm subtropical forests or supporting observations of changing fire regimes. The historical influence of Indigenous and non-Indigenous human land use on fire regimes varies in space and time. A 20th century fire deficit associated with human activities is evident in many regions, yet fire regimes characterized by frequent surface fires are still active in some areas (e.g., Mexico and the southeastern United States). These analyses provide a foundation and framework for future studies using the hundreds of thousands of annually- to sub-annually-resolved tree-ring records of fire spanning centuries, which will further advance our understanding of the interactions among fire, climate, topography, vegetation, and humans across North America