Economic Contribution of the Agricultural Sector to the Arkansas Economy in 1997-2014

Agricultural production, processing, and retail industries are major contributors to the Arkansas economy in terms of GDP. Agriculture contributes to the economy through direct agricultural production, value-added processing, and agricultural retail activities

Economic Contribution of the Agricultural Sector to the Arkansas Economy in 2012

This report is the ninth in a series of reports examining agriculture’s economic contribution on the Arkansas economy. Utilizing data from the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), and IMPLAN Group, LLC , the economic contribution of agriculture on the Arkansas economy was estimated for the most recent year available, 2012

Economic Contribution of Agriculture and Food to Arkansas\u27 Gross Domestic Product 1997-2012

Agricultural production, processing, and retail industries are major contributors to the Arkansas economy in terms of GDP. Agriculture contributes to the economy through direct agricultural production, value-added processing, and agricultural retail activities, and it also plays an important role through its interactions with other sectors. The use of non-agricultural goods and services as inputs into the agricultural sector promotes diversified growth in Arkansas’ economy; thus agriculture remains a vital part of Arkansas’ economy. This report: 1) compares the relative size of the Agriculture and Food Sector in Arkansas with those of neighboring states, the Southeastern region of the United States, and the nation; 2) provides an overview of Arkansas’ economy and discusses Arkansas’ agricultural sector in relation to the state economy; and 3) examines components of agricultural production and processing, including a review of historical sales trends for raw and processed agricultural output

Economic Contribution of Agriculture and Food to Arkansas\u27 Gross Domestic Product 1997-2013

Agricultural production, processing, and retail industries are major contributors to the Arkansas economy in terms of GDP. Agriculture contributes to the economy through direct agricultural production, value-added processing, and agricultural retail activities, and it also plays an important role through its interactions with other sectors. The use of non-agricultural goods and services as inputs into the agricultural sector promotes diversified growth in Arkansas’ economy; thus agriculture remains a vital part of Arkansas’ economy. This report: 1) compares the relative size of the Agriculture and Food Sector in Arkansas with those of neighboring states; 2) provides an overview of Arkansas’ economy and discusses Arkansas’ agricultural sector in relation to the state economy; and 3) examines components of agricultural production and processing, including a review of historical sales trends for raw and processed agricultural output

A FAMILY WITH NEUROPATHIES AND AN MFN2 VARIANT

BACKGROUND: The axonal subtype of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT2A) is commonly caused by dominant mutations in MFN2, which encodes a protein involved in mitochondrial dynamics and axonal transport. Over 100 variants in MFN2 are reportedly pathogenic. MFN2 dysfunction yields heterogenous neuropathies which can include optic atrophy, dysautonomia and diaphragmatic/airway dysfunction. CASE REPORT: A 52-year-old man presented with a 10-year history of burning forefoot dysthesias and orthostasis. His examination revealed reduced sensation to light touch and pinprick distally with preserved strength and reflexes. NCS/EMG demonstrated mild, symmetric axonal polyneuropathy. Autonomic testing revealed orthostatic tachycardia and postganglionic sudomotor dysfunction. Laboratory evaluation for common causes of neuropathy was negative. He represented at age 55 with increasing pain and numbness, worsening orthostasis and syncope. Examination and NCS/EMG confirmed progression of axonal sensorimotor polyneuropathy. Family history revealed similar symptoms in his mother and sister. All 3 reported subacute visual disturbances. Targeted gene sequencing of the proband returned heterozygous variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in 3 genes: KIF1A (c.3584G\u3eA; p.Arg1195His), MFN2 (c.1979C\u3eA; pAla660Asp), and PLEKHG5 (c.823G\u3eA; pGly275Ser). Confirmatory familial testing revealed identical variants in his mother, and both MFN2 and PLEKHG5 variants in his sister. Recessively-inherited PLEKHG5 is inconsistent with this pedigree. Functional protein modeling indicated that this MFN2 variant would likely alter protein function, making it the most likely punitive mutation. CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates a utility of targeted multigene panels and VUS resolution programs in the molecular diagnosis of inherited neuropathies. Family studies can help establish genotype-phenotype correlations in MFN2-related disease. This polymorphism is being considered for reclassification as pathogenic

Economic Contribution of Agriculture and Food to Arkansas\u27 Gross Domestic Product 1997-2011

Agricultural production, processing, and retail industries are major contributors to the Arkansas economy in terms of GDP. Agriculture contributes to the economy through direct agricultural production, value-added processing, and agricultural retail activities, and it also plays an important role through its interactions with other sectors. The use of non-agricultural goods and services as inputs into the agricultural sector promotes diversified growth in Arkansas’ economy; thus agriculture remains a vital part of Arkansas’ economy. Part 1 of the report compares the relative size of the Agriculture and Food Sector in Arkansas with those of neighboring states, the Southeastern region of the United States, and the nation; provides an overview of Arkansas’ economy and discusses Arkansas’ agricultural sector in relation to the state economy; and examines components of agricultural production and processing, including a review of historical sales trends for raw and processed agricultural output

Teaching Mindfulness to Individuals with Schizophrenia

Mindfulness practice as a treatment intervention has mitigated psychopathological symptoms and improved aspects of quality of life for many individuals. Studies of mindfulness-based training interventions for individuals with Schizophrenia disorders have been limited. These have targeted psychosis only or addressed anxiety co-occurring with schizophrenia; there has not been a mindfulness intervention tailored to particular treatable experience(s) of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. In this exploratory treatment development research, 10 individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were individually trained in a tailored mindfulness intervention. Predictions were that as a result of participating in the intervention, participants would report less distress in relation to positive symptoms, decreased anhedonia and associated distress, and increased quality of life. Also predicted was that for individuals where mindfulness ability improved over sessions, the participant would also report associated clinical improvement on the quantitative outcome measures. These were the Quality of Life Satisfaction and Enjoyment Scale-18 (Q-LES-Q-18), Positive Symptom Experience and Related Distress Questionnaire (PSEARD), portions of the Subjective Experience of Negative Symptoms Scale (SENS), Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS), Five-Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFM), and qualitative instruments including the Trainer Mindfulness Rating Form, Life Events Update Form, General Qualitative Measure, and Exit Interview Questionnaire. Participants\u27 qualitative responses as they proceeded through the training were also recorded, analyzed, and referenced to assist in generating and explaining themes and variations of participant experience in training. The goal was to improve the training manual and intervention characteristics for this pilot intervention. Results indicate that 60% of participants evidenced a positive clinical trend across their linearized trajectories on the four dependent variables and 70% of participants evidenced a clinically positive trend for reducing anhedonia-related distress. However, for a majority of participants, positive clinical trends did not occur for distress related to positive symptoms, anhedonia symptoms, and quality of life. Analyses also did not suggest any associative relationships between improvement in mindfulness ability and improvement in scores on outcome constructs. The qualitative data led to a conceptual analysis that implicates a changing and more centered self-concept as a candidate for the primary construct through which mindfulness ability can lead to beneficial outcomes

Cytoplasmic effects on agronomic traits, seed quality traits and amino acid composition in soybean with unique cytoplasms as determined by RFLP analysis

Cytoplasmic effects have been investigated since their discovery in 1909. However, in most studies it was not known whether the cytoplasms actually differed. Differences among the cytoplasms have been identified in soybean. This study was conducted to determine if consistent cytoplasmic effects exist in soybean based on cpDNA RFLP groupings. Ten soybean lines representing five cytoplasmic groups, were crossed to \u27Harosoy 63\u27 and \u27Clark 63\u27 to produce 40 F[subscript]1 and reciprocal F[subscript]1 populations. The parents, F[subscript]1\u27s and reciprocal F[subscript]1\u27s were evaluated for developmental stages, height, leaflet characteristics, seed size, protein and oil content, and fatty and amino acid composition. Ten F[subscript]2 and reciprocal F[subscript]2 \u27Harosoy 63\u27 populations, representing the five cytoplasmic groups, were evaluated the following year;Few significant differences were observed for the agronomic traits. Ten of the thirteen significant differences observed involved developmental traits, days to R1 and R7, and height at R1 and R7. Leaflet area and leaflet mass seldom differed among reciprocal crosses;Few differences were observed for the seed quality traits examined. Protein and oil content each differed in one reciprocal cross. Oleic and linoleic acid content accounted for eight of the ten significant differences observed among the fatty acids. No differences were observed for linolenic acid content in either year;Several differences were observed among the amino acids in the F[subscript]1 reciprocal crosses, but few were observed in the F[subscript]2 generation. Most of the differences observed involved aliphatic amino acids. Significant differences for the aliphatic amino acids were observed in reciprocal crosses in four of the five cytoplasmic groups. Chloroplast group III had two reciprocal crosses which differed for twelve and thirteen of the sixteen amino acids examined. However, the other reciprocal crosses in chloroplast group III, did not differ for any of the amino acids. Chloroplast group V rarely differed for any of the amino acids;Consistent cytoplasmic effects within a chloroplast DNA RFLP group were not observed for the traits examined. Most of the significant differences observed were in Chloroplast Groups I, II and III. Significant nuclear X cytoplasm interactions were indicated in some crosses

Increased Sensitivity to Physical Activity in Healthy Older Adults Predicts Worse Pain and Functional Outcomes

poster abstractPrior research indicates older adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA) have increased sensitivity to physical activity (SPA) and respond to physical activities of stable intensity with increases in pain. SPA predicted self-reported pain and function in older adults with knee OA. It is unknown whether SPA is present in healthy older adults without chronic pain and predicts functional outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine if SPA in response to a standardized 6-minute Walk Test cross-sectionally predicted selfreported pain, physical function, and physical activity behaviors in healthy older adults. Forty-two older adults (age=67.5±5 years) completed the Pain subscale of the Quality of Well Being scale (QWB–measures the frequency and severity of pain during common daily activities), the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36–measure of physical function), the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), and wore an accelerometer on the hip for 7 days. Subjects rated overall bodily discomfort (0-100 scale) prior to and during each minute of the 6MWT. RPE was recorded at the end of the walk. An SPA index was created by subtracting the initial bodily discomfort ratings from the peak ratings. Average moderate to vigorous physical activity/day (MVPA) and steps/day were recorded from the accelerometer. Dependent variables were analyzed with hierarchical linear regressions with SPA as the final predictor. Sixty percent of older adults experienced SPA (SPA=9.5±15.6). After accounting for age, sex, BMI, and meters walked on the 6MWT, SPA significantly predicted steps and MVPA per day, RPE on the 6MWT, and severity and frequency of activity related pain on the QWB scale. These results revealed that increased SPA in healthy older adults was associated with fewer steps and MVPA per day, greater exertion on 6MWT, and greater self-reported activity-related pain. This study was funded by the IUPUI School of PETM Faculty Research Opportunity Grant

Cigarette Smoking and Parkinson's Disease

This is a review on cigarette smoking and Parkinson's disease (PD). The relationship between cigarette smoking and Parkinson's disease is very controversial. Cigarette smoking is an established risk factor for various diseases such as lung cancer, COPD and heart disease. However, beneficial effects have been debated over the years. It was in the late 1950 s that studies reported a negative association between smoking and Parkinson's disease. More recently, several epidemiological studies have found a significant negative association between cigarette smoking and PD. That is, patients who smoke are 50% less likely to have PD when compared to their non-smoker counterparts. This suggests that cigarette smoking may have a "neuroprotective" effect on PD