MR442: Business Climate for Maine\u27s Environmental and Energy Technology Sector

This report presents findings from a survey that concentrated on issues pertaining to Maine’s business climate for the environmental and energy technology sector. The Environmental and Energy Technology (E2Tech) Council of Maine commissioned the survey, with support from the Maine Technology Institute’s Cluster Enhancement Award. The survey, conducted during the summer of 2006, collected information on the factors believed to affect the business climate for Maine’s environmental and energy technology sector, including availability of external investment, skilled workforce, collaboration among firms and in-state partners. Information on state characteristics (e.g., taxes, state/local government support, location relative to key inputs) that may affect growth potential was also captured on the survey.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_miscreports/1015/thumbnail.jp

Factor analysis of treatment outcomes from a UK specialist addiction service:relationship between the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire, Social Satisfaction Questionnaire and 10-item Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: To examine the relationship between three outcome measures used by a specialist addiction service (UK): the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire (LDQ), the Social Satisfaction Questionnaire (SSQ) and the 10-item Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE-10). DESIGN AND METHOD: A clinical sample of 715 service user records was extracted from a specialist addiction service (2011) database. The LDQ (dependence), SSQ (social satisfaction) and CORE-10 (psychological distress) were routinely administered at the start of treatment and again between 3 and 12 months post-treatment. A mixed pre/post-treatment dataset of 526 service users was subjected to exploratory factor analysis. Parallel Analysis and the Hull method were used to suggest the most parsimonious factor solution. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis with three factors accounted for 66.2% of the total variance but Parallel Analysis supported two factors as sufficient to account for observed correlations among items. In the two-factor solution, LDQ items and nine of the 10 CORE-10 items loaded on the first factor >0.41, and the SSQ items on factor 2 with loadings >0.63. A two dimensional summary appears sufficient and clinically meaningful. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Among specialist addiction service users, social satisfaction appears to be a unique construct of addiction and is not the same as variation due to psychological distress or dependence. Our interpretation of the findings is that dependence is best thought of as a specific psychological condition subsumed under the construct psychological distress. [Fairhurst C, Böhnke JR, Gabe R, Croudace TJ, Tober G, Raistrick D. Factor analysis of treatment outcomes from a UK specialist addiction service: Relationship between the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire, Social Satisfaction Questionnaire and 10-item Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation. Drug Alcohol Rev 2014;33:643–650

Maine's Environmental and Energy Technology Sector: Economic Impact and Recent Growth

This report examines the economic impact of Maine’s environmental and energy technology sector, and its growth between 2006 and the present. The analysis is based on information from a 2007 industry study and secondary data from a variety of sources. Results of the study show that, in 2012, Maine’s environmental and energy technology sector directly generated an estimated $847.5 million in output (i.e., sales revenue), supported 5,437 full- and part-time jobs, and provided$284.3 million in employee earnings. Maine’s environmental and energy technology sector has an annual economic impact, including multiplier effects, of an estimated $1.4 billion in output, 10,529 full- and part-time jobs, and$452.7 million in labor income. The employment and labor income directly associated with businesses and other organizations in the environmental and energy technology sector have increased by 3.2 percent and 27.6 percent, respectively, since the analysis conducted in 2007. By comparison, total employment and payroll, measured in current dollars, for the overall Maine economy changed by -2.7 percent and 11.9 percent over the same period

Maine's Environmental and Energy Technology Sector: Economic Impact and Recent Growth

This report examines the economic impact of Maine’s environmental and energy technology sector, and its growth between 2006 and the present. The analysis is based on information from a 2007 industry study and secondary data from a variety of sources. Results of the study show that, in 2012, Maine’s environmental and energy technology sector directly generated an estimated $847.5 million in output (i.e., sales revenue), supported 5,437 full- and part-time jobs, and provided$284.3 million in employee earnings. Maine’s environmental and energy technology sector has an annual economic impact, including multiplier effects, of an estimated $1.4 billion in output, 10,529 full- and part-time jobs, and$452.7 million in labor income. The employment and labor income directly associated with businesses and other organizations in the environmental and energy technology sector have increased by 3.2 percent and 27.6 percent, respectively, since the analysis conducted in 2007. By comparison, total employment and payroll, measured in current dollars, for the overall Maine economy changed by -2.7 percent and 11.9 percent over the same period

Functional characterization improves associations between rare non-synonymous variants in CHRNB4 and smoking behavior

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. Accordingly, effort has been devoted to determining the genetic variants that contribute to smoking risk. Genome-wide association studies have identified several variants in nicotinic acetylcholine receptor genes that contribute to nicotine dependence risk. We previously undertook pooled sequencing of the coding regions and flanking sequence of the CHRNA5, CHRNA3, CHRNB4, CHRNA6 and CHRNB3 genes and found that rare missense variants at conserved residues in CHRNB4 are associated with reduced risk of nicotine dependence among African Americans. We identified 10 low frequency (<5%) non-synonymous variants in CHRNB4 and investigated functional effects by co-expression with normal α3 or α4 subunits in human embryonic kidney cells. Voltage-clamp was used to obtain acetylcholine and nicotine concentration-response curves and qRT-PCR, western blots and cell-surface ELISAs were performed to assess expression levels. These results were used to functionally weight genetic variants in a gene-based association test. We find that there is a highly significant correlation between carrier status weighted by either acetylcholine EC50 (β = -0.67, r2 = 0.017, P = 2 × 10(-4)) or by response to low nicotine (β = -0.29, r2 = 0.02, P = 6 × 10(-5)) when variants are expressed with the α3 subunit. In contrast, there is no significant association when carrier status is unweighted (β = -0.04, r2 = 0.0009, P = 0.54). These results highlight the value of functional analysis of variants and the advantages to integrating such data into genetic studies. They also suggest that an increased sensitivity to low concentrations of nicotine is protective from the risk of developing nicotine dependence

Nova score for the consumption of ultra-processed foods: description and performance evaluation in Brazil

OBJETIVO Descrever o escore Nova de consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados e avaliar seu potencial para refletir, no contexto brasileiro, a participação desses alimentos na dieta. MÉTODOS Estudo realizado na cidade de São Paulo com amostra de conveniência de 300 adultos, que responderam, em cerca de três minutos, em um tablet, a um questionário eletrônico de autorrelato sobre o consumo, no dia anterior, de 23 subgrupos de alimentos ultraprocessados comumente consumidos no Brasil. O escore de cada participante correspondeu ao número de subgrupos reportados. A participação de alimentos ultraprocessados no consumo alimentar do mesmo dia, expressa como percentual da ingestão total de energia, foi calculada por meio das respostas dos participantes a recordatório alimentar completo de 24 horas aplicado em cerca de 30 minutos por nutricionistas treinados. A associação entre o escore e a participação de ultraprocessados na dieta foi estudada por modelos de regressão linear. A concordância na classificação dos participantes segundo quintos do escore e quintos da participação de alimentos ultraprocessados na dieta foi avaliada pelo índice Pabak. RESULTADOS O percentual médio de participação de alimentos ultraprocessados na dieta aumentou linear e significativamente com o aumento do escore Nova de consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados. Observou-se concordância substancial na classificação dos participantes segundo quintos da distribuição do escore e quintos da distribuição do percentual de participação de alimentos ultraprocessados na dieta (índice Pabak = 0,67). Relação inversa da idade com a frequência de consumo relativamente elevado de alimentos ultraprocessados (quinto superior da distribuição) foi observada tanto para o escore quanto para a participação de alimentos ultraprocessados na dieta. CONCLUSÃO O escore Nova de consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados, obtido de forma rápida e prática, apresenta bom potencial para refletir, no contexto brasileiro, a participação desses alimentos na dieta.OBJECTIVE: To describe the Nova score for the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) and evaluate its potential in reflecting the dietary share of UPF in Brazil. METHODS: This study was conducted in São Paulo with a convenience sample of 300 adults. Using a tablet, participants answered a 3-minute electronic self-report questionnaire on the consumption of 23 subgroups of UPF commonly consumed in Brazil, regarding the day prior the survey. Each participant score corresponded to the number of subgroups reported. The dietary share of UPF on the day prior to the survey, expressed as a percentage of total energy intake, was calculated based on data collected on a 30-minute complete 24-hour dietary recall administered by trained nutritionists. The association between the score and the dietary share of UPF was evaluated using linear regression models. The Pabak index was used to assess the agreement in participants’ classification according to the fifths of Nova score and the fifths of dietary share of UPF. RESULTS: The average dietary share of UPF increased linearly and significantly with the increase of the Nova score for the consumption of ultra-processed foods. We found a substantial agreement in participants’ classification according to the fifths of the distribution of scores and the fifths of the dietary share of UPF (Pabak index = 0.67). Age was inversely associated with a relatively high frequency of UPF consumption (upper fifth of the distribution) for both score and dietary share of UPF. CONCLUSION: The Nova score for the consumption of ultra-processed foods, obtained in a quick and practical manner, shows a good potential in reflecting the dietary share of UPF in Brazi

Heart failure after treatment for breast cancer

Background: We aimed to develop dose–response relationships for heart failure (HF) following radiation and anthracyclines in breast cancer treatment, and to assess HF associations with trastuzumab and endocrine therapies. Methods and results: A case–control study was performed within a cohort of breast cancer survivors treated during 1980–2009. Cases (n = 102) had HF as first cardiovascular diagnosis and were matched 1:3 on age and date of diagnosis. Individual cardiac radiation doses were estimated, and anthracycline doses and use of trastuzumab and endocrine therapy were abstracted from oncology notes. For HF cases who received radiotherapy, the estimated median mean heart dose (MHD) was 6.8 Gy [interquartile range (IQR) 0.9–13.7]. MHD was not associated with HF risk overall [excess rate ratio (ERR) = 1%/Gy, 95% confidence interval (CI) −2 to 10]. In patients treated with anthracyclines, exposure of ≥20% of the heart to ≥20 Gy was associated with a rate ratio of 5.7 (95% CI 1.7–21.7) compared to <10% exposed to ≥20 Gy. For cases who received radiotherapy, median cumulative anthracycline dose was 247 mg/m2 (IQR 240–319). A dose-dependent increase was observed after anthracycline without trastuzumab (ERR = 1.5% per mg/m2, 95% CI 0.5–4.1). After anthracycline and trastuzumab, the rate ratio was 34.9 (95% CI 11.1–110.1) compared to no chemotherapy. Conclusions: In absence of anthracyclines, breast cancer radiotherapy was not associated with increased HF risk. Strongly elevated HF risks were observed after treatment with anthracyclines and also after treatment with trastuzumab. The benefits of these systemic treatments usually exceed the risks of HF, but our results emphasize the need to support ongoing efforts to evaluate preventative strategies

Mudanças na alimentação na coorte NutriNet Brasil na vigência da COVID-19

Objective: To describe the characteristics of the diet of the NutriNet Brasil cohort participants immediately before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The data in this study come from an adult cohort created to prospectively investigate the relationship between food consumption and morbi-mortality from chronic non-communicable diseases in Brazil. For this study, we selected the first participants (n = 10,116) who answered twice a simplified questionnaire about their food consumption on the previous day, the first upon entering the study, between 26 January and 15 February 2020, and the second between May 10 and 19, 2020. The questionnaire asks about the consumption of healthy (vegetables, fruits and legumes) and unhealthy (ultra-processed foods) food markers. Comparisons of indicators based on the consumption of these markers before and during the pandemic are presented for the overall population and according to sex, age group, macroregion of residence and education. Chi-square and t-tests were used to compare proportions and means, respectively, adopting p &lt;0.05 to identify significant differences. Results: For the whole sample, a modest but statistically significant increase was found in the consumption of healthy food markers and stability in the consumption of unhealthy food markers. This favorable pattern of changes in diet with the pandemic was repeated in most sociodemographic strata. Less favorable pattern of changes, with a trend to increase the consumption of healthy and unhealthy food markers was observed in the Northeast and North macroregions and among people with less education, suggesting social inequalities in the response to the pandemic. Conclusions: If confirmed, the trend of increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods in less economically developed regions and in people with less education is of concern, as consumption of these foods increases the risk of obesity, hypertension and diabetes, whose presence increases severity and lethality of COVID-19.Objetivo: Descrever características da alimentação dos participantes da coorte NutriNet Brasil imediatamente antes e na vigência da pandemia de COVID-19. Métodos: Os dados deste estudo provêm de coorte de adultos criada para investigar prospectivamente a relação entre alimentação e morbimortalidade por doenças crônicas não-transmissíveis no Brasil. Para este estudo, foram selecionados os primeiros participantes (n=10.116) que responderam por duas vezes questionário simplificado sobre sua alimentação no dia anterior, a primeira ao ingressar no estudo, entre 26 de janeiro e 15 de fevereiro de 2020, e a segunda entre 10 e 19 de maio de 2020. O questionário indaga sobre o consumo de marcadores de alimentação saudável (hortaliças, frutas e leguminosas) e não saudável (alimentos ultraprocessados). Comparações de indicadores baseados no consumo desses marcadores antes e na vigência da pandemia são apresentadas para o conjunto da população estudada e segundo sexo, faixa etária, macrorregião de residência e escolaridade. Testes qui-quadrado e testes t foram utilizados para comparar proporções e médias, respectivamente, adotando-se p &lt;0,05 para identificar diferenças significantes. Resultados: Para o conjunto dos participantes, identificou-se aumento modesto, porém estatisticamente significante, no consumo de marcadores de alimentação saudável e estabilidade no consumo de marcadores de alimentação não saudável. Esse padrão favorável de mudanças na alimentação com a pandemia se repetiu na maior parte dos estratos sociodemográficos. Padrão menos favorável de mudanças, com tendência de aumento no consumo de marcadores de alimentação saudável e não saudável foi observado nas macrorregiões Nordeste e Norte e entre pessoas com menor escolaridade, sugerindo desigualdades sociais na resposta à pandemia. Conclusões: Caso confirmada, a tendência de aumento no consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados nas regiões economicamente menos desenvolvidas e nas pessoas com menor escolaridade preocupa, pois o consumo desses alimentos aumenta o risco de obesidade, hipertensão e diabetes, cuja presença aumenta a gravidade e a letalidade da COVID-19

A novel web-based 24-hour dietary recall tool in line with the Nova food processing classification: description and evaluation

ABSTRACT Objective: This paper describes the first web-based self-completed 24-hour recall designed to categorize food intake according to Nova groups - Nova24h – and its agreement with a reference tool in estimating the dietary relative contribution of the four Nova food groups (% of total energy intake). Design: Comparisons of estimates of dietary relative contributions of Nova groups obtained by Nova24h and one standard interviewer-led 24-hour recall. Setting: Nationwide adult cohort study in Brazil Participants: The subjects were 186 participants of the NutriNet Brasil Cohort Study (n=186). Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between the Nova24h and the reference tool mean contributions of unprocessed or minimally processed foods (52.3% vs. 52.6%), processed culinary ingredients (11.6% vs. 11.9%), processed foods (17.1% vs. 14.7%) and ultra-processed foods (19.0% vs. 20.9%). Intraclass correlation coefficients between individual estimates obtained for each Nova group showed moderate to good agreement (0.54-0.78). Substantial or almost perfect agreement between the tools was seen regarding the ability to rank participants according to quintiles of contribution of each Nova group (PABAK 0.69-0.81). Conclusions: Nova24h is a suitable tool for estimating the dietary relative energy contribution of Nova food groups in the NutriNet Brasil cohort. New studies are necessary to verify its adequacy in other populations