Biotechnology and Economic Development: The Economic Benefits of Maize Streak Virus Tolerant Maize in Kenya

For countries that could not benefit from the Green Revolution due to heterogeneous and unfavorable biophysical environments, agricultural biotechnology potentially provides a means of improving the quality and quantity of agricultural production. This paper analyses some of the major issues relating to the utilization of biotechnology in Kenya. A partial equilibrium trade model is applied to Kenya's corn market to study the potential of genetically modified maize that is tolerant to the Maize Streak Virus. The model accounts for home production and consumption; the positive results of the welfare estimation are disaggregated between consumers, large and small Kenyan corn farms.Community/Rural/Urban Development, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Adapting a Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention for Delivery via Facebook: A Pilot Series Among Low-Income Postpartum Women

BACKGROUND: Efforts to translate evidence-based weight loss interventions, such as the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), to low-income postpartum women have resulted in poor intervention attendance and high attrition. Strategies that improve engagement and retention in this population are needed to maximize the reach of evidence-based weight loss interventions. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to adapt a DPP-based weight loss intervention (Fresh Start) for Facebook delivery and to evaluate its feasibility among low-income postpartum women. METHODS: This study comprised 3 single-group pilot studies where feasibility outcomes iteratively informed changes from one pilot to the next. We paralleled the in-person program for Facebook delivery by translating the protocol to a content library of Facebook posts with additional posts from lifestyle coaches. Low-income postpartum women were recruited from Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics in Worcester, Massachusetts. Participants were enrolled into a 16-week weight loss intervention delivered via Facebook. During the first 8 weeks, Facebook intervention posts were delivered 2 times per day, with additional posts from coaches aiming to stimulate interaction among participants or respond to participants\u27 questions and challenges. For the following 8 weeks, posts were delivered once per day without additional coaching. Feasibility outcomes were engagement (defined by number of likes, comments, and posts measured throughout intervention delivery), acceptability, and retention (survey at follow-up and assessment completion rate, respectively). Changes in weight were also assessed at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS: Pilot 1 had a retention rate of 89% (24/27), and on average, 62% (17/27) of women actively engaged with the group each week during the 8-week coached phase. Mean weight loss was 2.6 (SD 8.64) pounds, and 79% (19/27) would recommend the program to a friend. Pilot 2 had a retention rate of 83% (20/24), and on average, 55% (13/24) of women actively engaged with the group weekly during the 8-week coached phase. Mean weight loss was 2.5 (SD 9.23) pounds, and 80% (16/24) would recommend the program to a friend. Pilot 3 had a retention rate of 88% (14/16), and on average, 67% (11/16) of women actively engaged with the group weekly during the 8-week coached phase. Mean weight loss was 7.0 (SD 11.6) pounds, and 100% (16/16) would recommend the program to a friend. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that a Facebook-delivered intervention was acceptable and could be feasibly delivered to low-income postpartum women. Future research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of a Facebook-delivered weight loss intervention

Advocacy in Ideas: Legal Education and Social Movements

Panel moderated by Professor Olatunde Johnson, featuring Professors Monica Bell, Tanya K. Hernández, Solangel Maldonado, and Chantal Thomas. Introduced by Elise Lopez. This panel is really an opportunity to explore the role of women of color in shaping ideas in the legal academy and in legal discourse more broadly. Everyone on this panel today is a professor and has joined legal academia, but what I think we really want to emphasize through this is that for many of us it begins in law school, where you can engage in shaping ideas through the writing that you do in your courses and in journals, in taking leadership positions in journals, and in organizing conferences like this

Racial/ethnic representation in lifestyle weight loss intervention studies in the United States: A systematic review

Obesity remains a persistent public health and health disparity concern in the United States. Eliminating health disparities, particularly among racial/ethnic minority groups, is a major health priority in the US. The primary aim of this review was to evaluate representation of racial/ethnic sub-group members in behavioral weight loss interventions conducted among adults in the United States. The secondary aims were to assess recruitment and study design approaches to include racial/ethnic groups and the extent of racial/ethnic sub-group analyses conducted in these studies. PubMed, PsycInfo, Medline, and CINAHL were searched for behavioral weight loss intervention trials conducted in 2009-2015 using keywords: weight, loss, overweight, obese, intervention and trial. Most of the 94 studies included a majority of White participants compared to any other racial/ethnic group. Across the included studies, 58.9% of participants were White, 18.2% were African American, 8.7% were Hispanic/Latino, 5.0% were Asian and 1.0% were Native Americans. An additional 8.2% were categorized as Other . Nine of the 94 studies exclusively included minority samples. Lack of adequate representation of racial and ethnic minority populations in behavioral trials limits the generalizability and potential public health impact of these interventions to groups that might most benefit from weight loss. Given racial/ethnic disparities in obesity rates and the burden of obesity and obesity-related diseases among minority groups in the United States, greater inclusion in weight loss intervention studies is warranted

The development and characterisation of a bacterial artificial chromosome library for Fragaria vesca

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The cultivated strawberry <it>Fragaria ×ananassa </it>is one of the most economically-important soft-fruit species. Few structural genomic resources have been reported for <it>Fragaria </it>and there exists an urgent need for the development of physical mapping resources for the genus. The first stage in the development of a physical map for <it>Fragaria </it>is the construction and characterisation of a high molecular weight bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A BAC library, consisting of 18,432 clones was constructed from <it>Fragaria vesca </it>f. <it>semperflorens </it>accession 'Ali Baba'. BAC DNA from individual library clones was pooled to create a PCR-based screening assay for the library, whereby individual clones could be identified with just 34 PCR reactions. These pools were used to screen the BAC library and anchor individual clones to the diploid <it>Fragaria </it>reference map (FV×FN).</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Clones from the BAC library developed contained an average insert size of 85 kb, representing over seven genome equivalents. The pools and superpools developed were used to identify a set of BAC clones containing 70 molecular markers previously mapped to the diploid <it>Fragaria </it>FV×FN reference map. The number of positive colonies identified for each marker suggests the library represents between 4× and 10× coverage of the diploid <it>Fragaria </it>genome, which is in accordance with the estimate of library coverage based on average insert size.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This BAC library will be used for the construction of a physical map for <it>F. vesca </it>and the superpools will permit physical anchoring of molecular markers using PCR.</p

Time trends in cancer incidence in Navarra and Zaragoza, spain.

[ES] Objetivo Conocer los cambios que se producen en los patrones de incidencia y mortalidad por cáncer con el paso del tiempo es un elemento básico para su control. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados sobre la evolución temporal de la incidencia de los tumores más importantes en Navarra y Zaragoza. Métodos Se ha utilizado un modelo log-lineal para evaluar el efecto de la edad, el período de diagnóstico y la cohorte de nacimiento en las tendencias de la incidencia de cáncer empleando los datos de los registros de Navarra y Zaragoza. Los resultados se muestran en forma gráfica para los diferentes tumores, en cada registro y sexo. Resultados En hombres, destaca el fuerte aumento de la incidencia en cáncer de pulmón (5% anual), próstata (> 2% anual) y linfomas no hodgkinianos. En mujeres, los incrementos más altos se han producido en linfomas no hodgkinianos con aumentos superiores al 7% anual y en el cáncer de ovario (4% anual). El cáncer de mama en mujeres ha aumentado en ambas provincias (Navarra 3,5% y Zaragoza 0,9%), siendo una parte del incremento en Navarra derivado de una mayor detección de casos. En ambos registros y en los dos sexos se han producido incrementos de la incidencia superiores al 3% anual en cáncer colorrectal, de vejiga y de riñón. Para la mayor parte de los tumores el riesgo de padecer un cáncer se incrementa en las sucesivas generaciones, con la excepción del cáncer de estómago y del cáncer de hígado. Conclusiones El importante incremento de la incidencia de cáncer pone de manifiesto la insuficiencia de las políticas de prevención primaria, la importancia de disponer de datos de incidencia en series prolongadas en el tiempo y la necesidad de aumentar la cobertura poblacional de los registros de cáncer en España. [EN] The knowledge of time-related changes occurring in cancer incidence and mortality is an essential element for cancer control. This paper aims to describe the time trends of the more important cancer sites in Navarra and Zaragoza. The influence of age, diagnosis period and birth cohort on the observed time trend cancer incidence in Navarre and Zaragoza was assessed using a log-linear model. Results are showed graphically, for the different tumour sites by sex and each registry. Among males, a considerable rise in the incidence of lung cancer (5% per year), prostate cancer (> 2% per year) and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas was found. Among females, the highest increases corresponded to non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, with a yearly rise greater than 7%, and ovarian cancer (4% per year). Breast cancer in women increased in both registries (3.5% per year in Navarre and 0.9% per year in Zaragoza), part of the increment in Navarra being explained by a higher case detection rate. Finally, the incidence of colorectal, bladder and kidney cancer rose more than a 3% per year in both registries and sexes. For most types of tumours, cancer risk increased with subsequent generations. The substantial cancer increment observed points out the inefficacy of primary prevention policies, the importance of studying cancer incidence for long time periods and the need to increase the population coverage of Spanish cancer registries.S

Follicular lymphoma international prognostic index.

The prognosis of follicular lymphomas (FL) is heterogeneous and numerous treatments may be proposed. A validated prognostic index (PI) would help in evaluating and choosing these treatments. Characteristics at diagnosis were collected from 4167 patients with FL diagnosed between 1985 and 1992. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to propose a PI. This index was then tested on 919 patients. Five adverse prognostic factors were selected: age (> 60 years vs or = 120 g/L), number of nodal areas (> 4 vs or = 3 adverse factors, 27% of patients, HR = 4.3). This Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) appeared more discriminant than the International Prognostic Index proposed for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Results were very similar in the confirmation group. The FLIPI may be used for improving treatment choices, comparing clinical trials, and designing studies to evaluate new treatments

Massive star formation and tidal structures in HCG 31

We present new broad-band optical and near-infrared CCD imaging together with deep optical intermediate-resolution spectroscopy of the Hickson Compact Group 31. We analyze the morphology and colors of the stellar populations of the galaxies, as well as the kinematics, physical conditions and chemical composition of the ionized gas in order to get a more complete view on the origin and evolution of the system. We estimate the ages of the most recent star formation bursts of the system, finding an excellent consistency among the values obtained with different indicators and starburst models. We find that member F hosts the youngest starburst of the group, showing a substantial population of Wolf-Rayet stars. The chemical abundances are fairly similar in all the members of the group despite their very different absolute magnitudes. We argue that the use of traditional metallicity-luminosity relations based on the absolute $B$-magnitude is not appropriate for dwarf starburst galaxies, because their luminosity is dominated by the transient contribution of the starburst to the blue luminosity. We think that members E and F of the group are candidate tidal dwarf galaxies because of their high metallicity, their kinematics, and the absence of underlying old stellar populations. Finally, we propose that HCG~31 is suffering several almost simultaneous interaction processes. The most relevant of these processes are: (a) the merging of members A and C, that would have produced two optical tidal tails; and (b) a fly-by encounter between G and the A+C complex, that would have produced an \ion{H}{1} tidal tail from the stripping of the external gas of A+C, from which members F and E have originated.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJS, 41 pages, 15 figures, 9 table