What is trust? Perspectives from farmers and other experts in the field of agriculture.

Background Agricultural biotechnology public-private partnerships (PPPs) have been recognized as necessary for improving agricultural productivity and increasing food production in sub-Saharan Africa. However, there are issues of public trust uniquely associated with PPPs involved in the development of genetically modified (GM) crops. Insight into how trust is understood by agbiotech stakeholders is needed to be able to promote and improve trust among actors comprising agbiotech PPPs. This study aimed to explore how stakeholders from the agricultural sector in sub-Saharan Africa understood the concept of trust in general as well as in the context of agbiotech PPPs. Methods Our data collection relied on sixty-one semi-structured, face-to-face interviews conducted with agbiotech stakeholders as part of a larger study investigating the role of trust in eight agbiotech projects across Africa. Interview transcripts were analyzed to create a narrative on how trust is understood by the study’s participants. Results Responses to the question “what is trust?” were diverse. However, across interviewees’ responses we identified six themes. In order to build and foster trust in a partnership, partners reported that one must practice integrity and honesty; deliver results in an accountable manner; be capable and competent; share the same objectives and interests; be transparent about actions and intentions through clear communication; and target services toward the interests of the public. Conclusions Participants reported that trust is either a very important factor or the most important factor in the making or breaking of success in agbiotech PPPs. The six themes that emerged from the interview data form a concept of trust. We thereby propose the following definition of trust in the context of agricultural biotechnology: an expectation held by an individual that the performance and behaviour of another will be supported by tangible results; facilitated by competency and transparency; grounded in a shared vision; and guided by integrity and an interest for the common good. This definition sheds light on important elements that agbiotech stakeholders believe should be present for trust to exist among members of agbiotech PPPs, for whom this definition can serve as a guide for building more effective partnerships

To label or not to label: points to consider in balancing the risks, benefits and costs of mandatory GM labeling in Africa

There seems to be growing controversy among interest groups worldwide about whether genetically modified (GM) foods need to be labelled. There are also growing concerns, particularly among civil society groups, about the potential danger of GM foods, for which labels are being demanded. Particularly in Africa, the issue of labelling GM foods requires attention due to the rapid growth of agricultural biotechnology initiatives. Using Kenya as a case study, and based on interviews with key agricultural stakeholders and a review of the literature, we present five points to consider in discussions on how the need for mandatory GM labelling should be assessed. This framework encompasses, and is underpinned by, important considerations about ethics, consumer autonomy, costs, stigmatization, feasibility and food security as they pertain to agricultural biotechnology

Switchable resolution in soft x-ray tomography of single cells.

The diversity of living cells, in both size and internal complexity, calls for imaging methods with adaptable spatial resolution. Soft x-ray tomography (SXT) is a three-dimensional imaging technique ideally suited to visualizing and quantifying the internal organization of single cells of varying sizes in a near-native state. The achievable resolution of the soft x-ray microscope is largely determined by the objective lens, but switching between objectives is extremely time-consuming and typically undertaken only during microscope maintenance procedures. Since the resolution of the optic is inversely proportional to the depth of focus, an optic capable of imaging the thickest cells is routinely selected. This unnecessarily limits the achievable resolution in smaller cells and eliminates the ability to obtain high-resolution images of regions of interest in larger cells. Here, we describe developments to overcome this shortfall and allow selection of microscope optics best suited to the specimen characteristics and data requirements. We demonstrate that switchable objective capability advances the flexibility of SXT to enable imaging cells ranging in size from bacteria to yeast and mammalian cells without physically modifying the microscope, and we demonstrate the use of this technology to image the same specimen with both optics

Pattern of Recovery and Outcomes of Patient Reported Physical Function and Pain Interference After Ankle Fusion: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: Research on outcomes after ankle fusion focuses on basic activities of daily living, fusion rates, and gait parameters. Little has been reported on the patient’s perspective after surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine the change in patient reported physical function and pain interference after ankle fusion surgery to guide patient expectations and improve provider communication. Methods: This was a retrospective review of prospectively collected patient reported outcome measurement information system (PROMIS) data in 88 ankle arthrodesis procedures performed from May 2015 to March 2018. The PROMIS Physical function (PF) and pain interference (PI) measures were collected as routine care. Linear mixed models were used to assess differences at each follow-up point for PF and PI. Preoperative to last follow-up in the 120–365 day interval was assessed using analysis of variance. Outcomes included T-scores, z-scores, and PROMISPreference (PROPr) utility scores for PF and PI and the percentage of patients improving by at least 4 T-score points. Results: The linear mixed model analysis for PF after the 120–149 days, and for PI, after 90–119 days, indicated recovery plateaued at 39–40 for PF and 57–59 for PI T-scores. The change in the PI T-score was the greatest with a mean T-score improvement of − 5.4 (95% CI − 7.7 to − 3.1). The proportion of patients improving more than 4 points was 66.2% for either PF or PI or both. The change in utility T-scores for both PF (0.06, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.11) and PI (0.15, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.20) was significantly improved, however, only PI approached clinical significance. Conclusion: Average patients undergoing ankle fusion experience clinically meaningful improvement in pain more so than physical function. Average patient recovery showed progressive improvement in pain and function until the four-month postoperative time point. Traditional dogma states that recovery after an ankle fusion maximizes at a year, however based on the findings in this study, 4 months is a more accurate marker of recovery. A decline in function or an increase in pain after 4 months from surgery may help to predict nonunion and other complications after ankle arthrodesis. Level of evidence: Level II, prospective single cohort study

Breastfeeding and the risk of respiratory tract infections after infancy: The Generation R Study

BACKGROUND:The protection of breastfeeding against respiratory tract infections in the first year of life has often been suggested. Few studies examined the effect of breastfeeding on respiratory tract infections after infancy. OBJECTIVE:To examine the association between breastfeeding with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) after infancy up to 4 years of age (n = 5322). METHODS:This study was embedded in The Generation R study, a Dutch population-based prospective cohort study from fetal life until young adulthood. Information on breastfeeding duration (never; <3 months; 3-6 months; ≥6 months) and dose (never; partially until 4 months; predominantly until 4 months) were collected by questionnaire at 2, 6, and 12 months of age. Information on doctor attendance for LRTI and URTI were obtained by questionnaire at 2, 3, and 4 years of age. RESULTS:Breastfeeding for 6 months or longer was significantly associated with a reduced risk of LRTI up to 4 years of age (aOR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.51-0.98). Similar ORs for LRTI were found with breastfeeding for less than 3 months and 3-6 months. Although in the same direction, weaker ORs were found for URTI and breastfeeding duration. The same trend was found for partial and predominant breastfeeding until 4 months and LRTI and URTI. CONCLUSION:Breastfeeding duration for 6 months or longer is associated with a reduced risk of LRTI in pre-school children. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that the protective effect of breastfeeding for respiratory tract infections persist after infancy therefore supporting current recommendations for breastfeeding for at least 6 months

The Environment of Birthplace and Self-Reported Mental Health Conditions: Findings from the American Panel of Life

Studies from around the globe have found that urbanicity is associated with greater risk for certain psychiatric disorders, though the association has been less evident in the United States. We analyzed data collected in 2019 from the RAND American Life Panel (n = 2554), which were representative of the general adult population of the United States. Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined the associations between environment of birthplace (large urban, small urban, suburban, rural) and psychiatric disorders, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. We found that being born in a large urban area was associated with greater odds of having any psychiatric disorder when compared with being born in a rural area. However, when looking at specific disorders, we found that being born in a large urban area was only significantly associated greater odds of anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but was not associated with bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or alcohol/substance use disorder. Being born in a small urban area was marginally associated with anxiety disorder. Future studies should examine why urban birthplace has only been associated with anxiety disorders and PTSD in the United States, and why urbanicity is associated with mood disorders in other parts of the world but not in the United States

Brain-age estimation with a low-cost EEG-headset: effectiveness and implications for large-scale screening and brain optimization

Over time, pathological, genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors can age the brain and diminish its functional capabilities. While these factors can lead to disorders that can be diagnosed and treated once they become symptomatic, often treatment is difficult or ineffective by the time significant overt symptoms appear. One approach to this problem is to develop a method for assessing general age-related brain health and function that can be implemented widely and inexpensively. To this end, we trained a machine-learning algorithm on resting-state EEG (RS-EEG) recordings obtained from healthy individuals as the core of a brain-age estimation technique that takes an individual's RS-EEG recorded with the low-cost, user-friendly EMOTIV EPOC X headset and returns that person's estimated brain age. We tested the current version of our machine-learning model against an independent test-set of healthy participants and obtained a correlation coefficient of 0.582 between the chronological and estimated brain ages (r = 0.963 after statistical bias-correction). The test-retest correlation was 0.750 (0.939 after bias-correction) over a period of 1 week. Given these strong results and the ease and low cost of implementation, this technique has the potential for widespread adoption in the clinic, workplace, and home as a method for assessing general brain health and function and for testing the impact of interventions over time

Archvillin, a muscle-specific isoform of supervillin, is an early expressed component of the costameric membrane skeleton

The membrane skeleton protein supervillin binds tightly to both F-actin and membranes and can potentiate androgen receptor activity in non-muscle cells. We report that muscle, which constitutes the principal tissue source for supervillin sequences, contains a approximately 250 kDa isoform of supervillin that localizes within nuclei and with dystrophin at costameres, regions of F-actin membrane attachment in skeletal muscle. The gene encoding this protein, \u27archvillin\u27 (Latin, archi; Greek, archos; \u27principal\u27 or \u27chief\u27), contains an evolutionarily conserved, muscle-specific 5\u27 leader sequence. Archvillin cDNAs also contain four exons that encode approximately 47 kDa of additional muscle-specific protein sequence in the form of two inserts within the function-rich N-terminus of supervillin. The first of these muscle-specific inserts contains two conserved nuclear targeting signals in addition to those found in sequences shared with supervillin. Archvillin, like supervillin, binds directly to radiolabeled F-actin and co-fractionates with plasma membranes. Colocalization of archvillin with membrane-associated actin filaments, non-muscle myosin II, and--to a lesser extent--vinculin was observed in myoblasts. Striking localizations of archvillin protein and mRNA were observed at the tips of differentiating myotubes. Transfected protein chimeras containing archvillin insert sequences inhibited myotube formation, consistent with a dominant-negative effect during early myogenesis. These data suggest that archvillin is among the first costameric proteins to assemble during myogenesis and that it contributes to myogenic membrane structure and differentiation

The Student Movement Volume 105 Issue 7: Please Pass the Plexiglass: Friends Unite for Shielded Bite

NEWS Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine, Interviewed by TJ Hunter Andrews University Choral Performs “Celebrating the Light” Concert, Jenae Rogers AUSA Hosts Sabbath Experience at PMC, Caralynn Chan Dr. Kizzmekia Shanta Corbett Gives Lecture on the Safety and Effectiveness of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines, Terika Williams Loving in the Grey: This Semester’s First In-Person Chapel, Kristin Ferrer PULSE Holilday Recap, Gloria Oh New Year’s Aspirations, Wambui Karanja The Wellness Column: No Longer Sitting Ducks, Jessica Rim Winter Break Endeavors, by HeeYun Oh HUMANS AU Christmas Album Interview, Interview by Abigail Lee My Experience in COVID Isolation, Interview by Terika Williams Spring Semester 2021 Club Events, Interview by Celeste Richardson ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Creative Spotlight: Brent LaPorre, Interviewed by Megan Napod Current February Favorites, Megan Napod Long Live the King, Joshua Deonarine IDEAS Insurrection, Impeachment, and Inauguration: Three Wednesdays in January, Solana Campbell What We Learned from 2020 and Are Keeping in 2021, Sion Kimhttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/sm-105/1000/thumbnail.jp