THE RESTRUCTURING OF SOUTHERN AGRICULTURE: DATA NEEDS FOR ECONOMIC AND POLICY RESEARCH

Agricultural and Food Policy,

THE EFFECTS OF FIRM EXIT IN A RETAIL GROCERY MARKET

Agribusiness,

Managing fire-prone forests in the western United States

The management of fire-prone forests is one of the most controversial natural resource issues in the US today, particularly in the west of the country. Although vegetation and wildlife in these forests are adapted to fire, the historical range of fire frequency and severity was huge. When fire regimes are altered by human activity, major effects on biodiversity and ecosystem function are unavoidable. We review the ecological science relevant to developing and implementing fire and fuel management policies for forests before, during, and after wildfires. Fire exclusion led to major deviations from historical variability in many dry, low-elevation forests, but not in other forests, such as those characterized by high severity fires recurring at intervals longer than the period of active fire exclusion. Restoration and management of fire-prone forests should be precautionary, allow or mimic natural fire regimes as much as possible, and generally avoid intensive practices such as post-fire logging and planting

Factors Associated With Ordering Laboratory Monitoring Of High-Risk Medications

Background Knowledge about factors associated with provider ordering of appropriate testing is limited. Objective To determine physician factors correlated with ordering of recommended laboratory monitoring tests for high-risk medications, accounting for patient characteristics. Methods Analysis of the administrative claims and electronic medical records of patients prescribed a high-risk medication requiring laboratory monitoring in a large multispecialty group practice between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008. The outcome is a physician order for each recommended laboratory test for each prescribed medication. Key predictor variables include physician characteristics, including age, gender, specialty training, years since completing training, and prescribing volume. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify the independent association of physician and patient characteristics with ordering of laboratory tests to monitor medications after adjustment for potential confounders, taking into account clustering of drugs within patients and patients within providers. Results Physician orders for laboratory testing varied across drug-test pairs and ranged from 9% (Primidone–Phenobarbital level) to 97% (Azathioprine–CBC) with 50% of drug-test pairs in the 85-91% ordered range. Failure to order a test was associated with lower provider prescribing volume for study drugs and whether the physician was a specialist (primary care providers were more likely to order tests than specialists). Patients with lower patient comorbidity burden and younger patients were less likely to have appropriate tests ordered. Drug-test combinations with black box warnings were more likely to have tests ordered. Conclusions Interventions targeting providers should be addressed at those subgroups with the greatest potential for improvement: providers with lower frequencies of prescribing high-risk medications, and healthier and younger patients. Drug-test combinations with black box warnings have higher ordering rates, but many medications without such warnings also have evidence of harm, thus efforts to improve testing are necessary for all medications shown to be high-risk

Finding Comfort and Discomfort Through Foodways Practices During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Public Folklore Project

This article describes an international oral history project run by the nonprofit Center for Food and Culture on how individuals found both comfort and discomfort through foodways during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project expanded the concept of comfort food to include the range of activities included within foodways and also explored the variety of meanings attached to the concept, emphasizing that both “food” and “comfort” are culturally and socially constructed. The project resulted in an archive of documentation from over 65 interviews, a virtual symposium, and an on-line exhibit. The exhibit and resources on comfort food, folkloristic approaches to foodways, and oral history methods are posted on a free website (www.foodandculture.org). As such, the project is an example of public folklore presentations of folkloristic concepts and materials. It also illustrates public humanities in its exploration of the meanings of comfort foodways during the pandemic. This paper describes the findings from this project and discusses their implications for insights into individuals’ experiences around foodways practices during the pandemic. The lead author designed and directed the project; the additional authors contributed in its development, conducted interviews, participated in the symposium and exhibit, and offered commentary and insights on this paper

A translational approach for limb vascular delivery of the micro-dystrophin gene without high volume or high pressure for treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder with monogenic mutations setting the stage for successful gene therapy treatment. We have completed a study that directly deals with the following key issues that can be directly adapted to a gene therapy clinical trial using rAAV considering the following criteria: 1) A regional vascular delivery approach that will protect the patient from widespread dissemination of virus; 2) an approach to potentially facilitate safe passage of the virus for efficient skeletal muscle transduction; 3) the use of viral doses to accommodate current limitations imposed by vector production methods; 4) and at the same time, achieve a clinically meaningful outcome by transducing multiple muscles in the lower limb to prolong ambulation. Methods: The capacity of AAV1, AAV6 or AAV8 to cross the vascular endothelial barrier carrying a micro-dystrophin cDNA was compared under identical conditions with delivery through a catheter placed in the femoral artery of the mdx mouse. Transduction efficiency was assessed by immuno-staining using an antibody (Manex1a) that recognizes the Nterminus of micro-dystrophin. The degree of physiologic correction was assessed by measuring tetanic force and protection from eccentric contraction in the extensor digitorum longus muscle (EDL). The vascular delivery paradigm found successful in the mouse was carried to the non-human primate to test its potential translation to boys with DMD. Results: Regional vascular delivery resulted in transduction by rAAV8.micro-dystrophin reaching 94.5 ± 0.9 (1 month), 91.3 ± 3.1 (2 months), and 89.6 ± 1.6% (3 months). rAAV6.micro-dystrophin treated animals demonstrated 87.7 ± 6.8 (1 month), 78.9 ± 7.4 (2 months), and 81.2 ± 6.2% (3 months) transduction. In striking contrast, rAAV1 demonstrated very low transduction efficiency [0.9 ± 0.3 (1 month), 2.1 ± 0.8 (2 months), and 2.1 ± 0.7% (3 months)] by vascular delivery. Micro-dystrophin delivered by rAAV8 and rAAV6 through the femoral artery significantly improved tetanic force and protected against eccentric contraction. Mouse studies translated to the hindlimb of cynamologous macaques using a similar vascular delivery paradigm. rAAV8 carrying eGFP in doses proportional to the mouse (5 × 1012 vg/kg in mouse vs 2 × 1012 vg/kg in monkey) demonstrated widespread gene expression [medial gastrocnemius – 63.8 ± 4.9%, lateral gastrocnemius – 66.0 ± 4.5%, EDL – 80.2 ± 3.1%, soleus – 86.4 ± 1.9%, TA – 72.2 ± 4.0%. Conclusion: These studies demonstrate regional vascular gene delivery with AAV serotype(s) in mouse and non-human primate at doses, pressures and volumes applicable for clinical trials in children with DMD

Patient Adherence to Laboratory Tests to Monitor Medication Therapy: A Mixed-Methods Study

Background Little is known about the contribution of patient behavior to incomplete laboratory monitoring and the reasons for patient non-completion of ordered laboratory tests remain unclear. Objective To describe factors, including patient-reported reasons, associated with non-completion of ordered laboratory tests. Design Mixed-methods study including a quantitative assessment of the frequency of patient adherence to ordered monitoring tests combined with qualitative, semi-structured, patient interviews. Participants Quantitative assessment included patients 18 years or older from a large multispecialty group practice prescribed a medication requiring monitoring. Qualitative interviews included a subset of adherent and non-adherent patients prescribed a cardiovascular, anti-convulsant, or thyroid replacement medication. Main Measures Proportion of recommended monitoring tests for each medication not completed, factors associated with patient non-adherence, and patient-reported reasons for non-adherence. Results Of 27,802 patients who were prescribed one of 34 medications, patient non-completion of ordered tests varied (range: 0% to 29%, by drug-test pair). Factors associated with higher odds of test non-completion included younger patient age (\u3c 40 years vs. ≥80 years, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.52, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.27-1.83), lower medication burden (1 medication vs. more than 1 drug, AOR for non-completion 1.26, 95% CI 1.15-1.37), and lower visit frequency (0-5 visits/year vs. ≥19 visits/year, AOR 1.41, 95% CI 1.25 to 1.59). Drug-test pairs with black box warning status were associated with greater odds of non-completion compared to drugs included only in the PDR (AOR 1.91, 95% CI 1.66-2.19). Qualitative interviews, with 16 non-adherent and 7 adherent patients, identified forgetting as the main cause of non-adherence. Conclusions Patient non-adherence contributed to missed opportunities to monitor medications and was associated with younger patient age and lower medication burden and black box warning status. Interventions to improve laboratory monitoring should target patients as well as physicians

Radiation Performance of 1 Gbit DDR SDRAMs Fabricated in the 90 nm CMOS Technology Node

We present Single Event Effect (SEE) and Total Ionizing Dose (TID) data for 1 Gbit DDR SDRAMs (90 nm CMOS technology) as well as comparing this data with earlier technology nodes from the same manufacturer

The Report of the Ecological Society of America Committee on the Scientific Basis for Ecosystem Management

Ecosystem management is management driven by explicit goals, executed by policies, protocols, and practices, and made adaptable by monitoring and research based on our best understanding of the ecological interactions and processes necessary to sustain ecosystem composition, structure, and function