Consumer Purchases of Biotech Sweet Corn: Results from a Market Experiment

In the increasingly consumer-driven food system, consumer preferences toward agricultural biotechnology have the potential to influence decisions about development and adoption of biotech crop varieties. Current knowledge about consumer attitudes toward biotech foods is largely based on a number of consumer surveys and a growing body of experimental auctions. This paper reports results of a market experiment designed to isolate the effect of the use of biotechnology on consumer choices between two otherwise identical products. Two related varieties of fresh-market sweet corn were grown, labeled, and sold side-by-side in nine participating grocery stores in the Philadelphia area. Sales data indicate a market share of biotech corn of about 45 percent, with store-specific shares varying between 10 and 80 percent. Over 700 surveys were collected in stores. Surprisingly, only 65 percent of respondents noticed that there were two types of corn for sale despite the labeling and merchandising, and 87 percent of the sample spent one minute or less choosing their corn. About half of the respondents had heard of biotechnology before, and 16 percent volunteered the biotechnology trait as an influence on their purchase decision. Approximately 40 percent of the sample purchased some of the biotech variety, with several respondents purchasing some of each.Institutional and Behavioral Economics,

Scholarly research productivity among ophthalmology residency graduates

Purpose: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires that ophthalmology residents participate in scholarly activity during residency. However, to our knowledge it is unknown whether research publications during undergraduate, medical school, residency or fellowship training predict future academic publication performance among ophthalmologists. The aim of this study was to (1) measure scholarly research productivity (as measured by the H-index) among ophthalmology residency graduates, as measured by peer-reviewed publication output, and its relation to future publication output, and (2) evaluate whether scholarly impact of academic ophthalmologists is correlated with any specific characteristics.Methods: This study is cross-sectional in nature and included a random sample of 50 ophthalmology residency programs. From each program, a list of graduating residents from years 2013, 2014, and 2015 was compiled and each graduate was search on Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The publications of each graduate were then identified and data was extracted and collected in a double blind, duplicate fashion by 2 investigators. Research publication output was then stratified and analyzed.Results: Graduates that had a higher mean total publication (M = 9.11, SD=12.91) were significantly more likely to pursue a fellowship than those that did not (M=2.68, SD=3.16) (t234= -3.9, p = .0001). Graduates with more first person publications and higher H-index values were also significantly more likely to pursue fellowships (t234= -3.78, p = 0.0002) (t234= -3.93, p = 0.0001).Graduates that had a higher mean total publication (M = 14.2, SD= 18.19) were more likely to pursue academic careers than those that did not (M=4.57, SD = 4.88) (t234= -6.3, p = 0 .0001). Graduates with more first person publications and higher H-index values were also significantly more likely to pursue academic careers (t234= -5.17, p = 0.001) (t234= -4.84, p <0.0001). Gender proved to not be a significant determination of research pursuit in terms of publication or first person publication numbers (t234= -1.01, p = .3107) (t234= -0.53, p = .5949). However, H-index values for men (M = 3.06, SD= 3.47 ) and women (M = 2.52, SD=2.64) were significantly different (t234= -3.9, p = 0.0406).Conclusion: The positive correlation between the between graduates' research productivity and career and future research outcomes could present an interesting aspect for viewing candidates for fellowship or careers. The correlation demonstrates that students who performed research before and during residency were more productive with research after residency. This could present a positive reason to select an individual for a fellowship or academic program. The lack of research conversely indicates a likelihood of low research productivity. This could potentially negatively impact candidates. The evaluation of an individual's H-value, first-person publications, or total number of publications can then possibly be supplementary for decision making or gauge potential

Cross-sectional analysis of psychiatry residency graduate peer-reviewed publication trends

Background: Scholarly activity through research is widely considered to be an integral component of medical training, and residency or fellowship match success. However, the rate of these scholarly practices in psychiatry residency graduates is relatively unknown. Here, we aim to (1) describe factors associated with scholarly research activities, as measured by peer-reviewed publications, among psychiatry residency graduates, and (2) determine if an association exists between publication rates before, during, or after psychiatry residency.Methods: We employed a cross-sectional study design analyzing research output by psychiatry residency graduates in relation to future publications and academic accomplishments from a random sample of 50 psychiatry residency rosters. Data were extracted for each graduate and analyzed using STATA 15.1 and Microsoft Excel. A protocol is publicly available here: https://osf.io/pwa6d/.Results: We identified 249 residency programs of which we randomly sampled 50. Among the 50 programs, 7 were included, totaling 122 graduates from psychiatry residencies to be analyzed. Of the 122 graduated residents, 57% (69) produced no publications. Of the graduates who pursued a fellowship, 25.4% (31/67) entered into Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Of the 53 published graduates, most of their publications were received before residency, making up 68 of the 183 publications (37.2%). Compared to before residency, the total number of publications during residency reduced by 29.4% (20/68).Conclusion: While a majority of psychiatry graduate's publications were pre-residency, many publications occurred post- residency and the average number of publications was lowest during residency training

Scholarly research productivity among otolaryngology residency graduates and its relationship to future academic achievement

Background: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires that all residencies participate in research. This growing emphasis on research during residency has made it increasingly important for medical students to gain familiarity with the basic principles of research before beginning residency training. Thus, our goal is to determine if an association exists between publication rates before, during, or after otolaryngology residency training and whether publication efforts may predict future academic achievement. If such an association exists, perhaps otolaryngology residency program directors and education policymakers could use it as a predictive tool to screen future applicants.Methods: In this cross-sectional analysis, we selected a random sample of 50 otolaryngology residency programs listed on Doximity. From these programs, we assembled a list of graduating residents from 2013, 2014, and 2015. Using SCOPUS, PubMed, and Google Scholar, a list of publications for each graduate was compiled and data were extracted in an independent, double-blinded fashion by two investigators.Results: Of the 50 randomly selected otolaryngology residency programs included in this analysis, 27 (54%) programs representing 207 residents were included. Before residency, graduates published a mean of 0.7 (SD=2.3) articles and a mean of 0.2 (SD=0.8) first author publications. During residency, graduates published a mean of 4.1 (SD=5.0) articles and a mean of 2.2 (SD=3.2) first author publications. After residency, graduates published a mean of 5.4 (SD= 9.6) articles and a mean of 1.8 (SD=2.8) first author publications. Residents who pursued a fellowship had more publications (t205=-5.5, p <.001) and more first author publications (t205=-5.3, p <.001) than residents who did not pursue fellowship training. Residents who chose careers in academic medicine had a higher number of mean total publications (t205=-7.2, p <.001) and first author publications (t205=-7.0, p <.001) than those in private practice.Conclusion: Otolaryngology residency graduates are actively involved in research opportunities throughout their medical training. Research productivity significantly correlated with future fellowship training, the pursuit of an academic career, and overall h-index. Residents who published more research were more likely to enter fellowship training and academic careers. Our results indicate that promoting greater physician involvement in the research process may strengthen confidence in the interpretation and application of research findings and ultimately lead to future academic success

Increased Alpha-Band Power during the Retention of Shapes and Shape-Location Associations in Visual Short-Term Memory

Studies exploring the role of neural oscillations in cognition have revealed sustained increases in alpha-band (~8–14 Hz) power during the delay period of delayed-recognition short-term memory tasks. These increases have been proposed to reflect the inhibition, for example, of cortical areas representing task-irrelevant information, or of potentially interfering representations from previous trials. Another possibility, however, is that elevated delay-period alpha-band power (DPABP) reflects the selection and maintenance of information, rather than, or in addition to, the inhibition of task-irrelevant information. In the present study, we explored these possibilities using a delayed-recognition paradigm in which the presence and task relevance of shape information was systematically manipulated across trial blocks and electroencephalographic was used to measure alpha-band power. In the first trial block, participants remembered locations marked by identical black circles. The second block featured the same instructions, but locations were marked by unique shapes. The third block featured the same stimulus presentation as the second, but with pretrial instructions indicating, on a trial-by-trial basis, whether memory for shape or location was required, the other dimension being irrelevant. In the final block, participants remembered the unique pairing of shape and location for each stimulus. Results revealed minimal DPABP in each of the location-memory conditions, whether locations were marked with identical circles or with unique task-irrelevant shapes. In contrast, alpha-band power increases were observed in both the shape-memory condition, in which location was task irrelevant, and in the critical final condition, in which both shape and location were task relevant. These results provide support for the proposal that alpha-band oscillations reflect the retention of shape information and/or shape–location associations in short-term memory

Do attractive bosons condense?

Motivated by experiments on bose atoms in traps which have attractive interactions (e.g. ^7Li), we consider two models which may be solved exactly. We construct the ground states subject to the constraint that the system is rotating with angular momentum proportional to the number of atoms. In a conventional system this would lead to quantised vortices; here, for attractive interactions, we find that the angular momentum is absorbed by the centre of mass motion. Moreover, the state is uncondensed and is an example of a `fragmented' condensate discussed by Nozi\`eres and Saint James. The same models with repulsive interactions are fully condensed in the thermodynamic limit.Comment: 4 pages, Latex, RevTe

Hydrogel–Electrospun Fiber Mat Composite Coatings for Neural Prostheses

Achieving stable, long-term performance of implanted neural prosthetic devices has been challenging because of implantation related neuron loss and a foreign body response that results in encapsulating glial scar formation. To improve neuron–prosthesis integration and form chronic, stable interfaces, we investigated the potential of neurotrophin-eluting hydrogel–electrospun fiber mat (EFM) composite coatings. In particular, poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PEGPCL) hydrogel–poly(ε-caprolactone) EFM composites were applied as coatings for multielectrode arrays. Coatings were stable and persisted on electrode surfaces for over 1 month under an agarose gel tissue phantom and over 9 months in a PBS immersion bath. To demonstrate drug release, a neurotrophin, nerve growth factor (NGF), was loaded in the PEGPCL hydrogel layer, and coating cytotoxicity and sustained NGF release were evaluated using a PC12 cell culture model. Quantitative MTT assays showed that these coatings had no significant toxicity toward PC12 cells, and neurite extension at day 7 and 14 confirmed sustained release of NGF at biologically significant concentrations for at least 2 weeks. Our results demonstrate that hydrogel–EFM composite materials can be applied to neural prostheses to improve neuron–electrode proximity and enhance long-term device performance and function

Rapid fixation of non-native alleles revealed by genome-wide SNP analysis of hybrid tiger salamanders

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hybrid zones represent valuable opportunities to observe evolution in systems that are unusually dynamic and where the potential for the origin of novelty and rapid adaptation co-occur with the potential for dysfunction. Recently initiated hybrid zones are particularly exciting evolutionary experiments because ongoing natural selection on novel genetic combinations can be studied in ecological time. Moreover, when hybrid zones involve native and introduced species, complex genetic patterns present important challenges for conservation policy. To assess variation of admixture dynamics, we scored a large panel of markers in five wild hybrid populations formed when Barred Tiger Salamanders were introduced into the range of California Tiger Salamanders.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At three of 64 markers, introduced alleles have largely displaced native alleles within the hybrid populations. Another marker (<it>GNAT1</it>) showed consistent heterozygote deficits in the wild, and this marker was associated with embryonic mortality in laboratory F2's. Other deviations from equilibrium expectations were idiosyncratic among breeding ponds, consistent with highly stochastic demographic effects.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>While most markers retain native and introduced alleles in expected proportions, strong selection appears to be eliminating native alleles at a smaller set of loci. Such rapid fixation of alleles is detectable only in recently formed hybrid zones, though it might be representative of dynamics that frequently occur in nature. These results underscore the variable and mosaic nature of hybrid genomes and illustrate the potency of recombination and selection in promoting variable, and often unpredictable genetic outcomes. Introgression of a few, strongly selected introduced alleles should not necessarily affect the conservation status of California Tiger Salamanders, but suggests that genetically pure populations of this endangered species will be difficult to maintain.</p

Prognostic Value of Patient-Reported Symptom Interference in Patients with Late-stage Lung Cancer

Purpose Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have been found to be significant predictors of clinical outcomes such as overall survival (OS), but the effect of demographic and clinical factors on the prognostic ability of PROs is less understood. Several PROs derived from the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) and M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) were investigated for association with OS, with adjustments for other factors, including performance status. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on data from 90 patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. Several baseline PROs were added to a base Cox proportional hazards model to examine the marginal significance and improvement in model fit attributable to the PRO: mean MDASI symptom interference level; mean MDASI symptom severity level for five selected symptoms; SF-12 physical and mental component summaries; and the SF-12 general health item. Bootstrap resampling was used to assess the robustness of the findings. Results The MDASI mean interference level had a significant effect on OS (p = 0.007) when the model was not adjusted for interactions with other prognostic factors. Further exploration suggested the significance was due to an interaction with performance status (p = 0.001). The MDASI mean symptom severity level and the SF-12 physical component summary, mental component summary, and general health item did not have a significant effect on OS. Conclusions Symptom interference adds prognostic information for OS in advanced lung cancer patients with poor performance status, even when demographic and clinical prognostic factors are accounted for

Determinants of Catch-Up Growth in International Adoptees from Eastern Europe

Children raised in orphanages frequently experience growth suppression due to multiple risk factors. Placing such children in more nurturing environments through adoption leads to significant catch-up growth (CUG), the determinants of which are not entirely understood. The goal of this study was to perform an auxological evaluation and examine the degree and correlates of CUG in international adoptees. Children adopted from Eastern Europe, (n = 148, 71 males), 7 to 59 months of age, were recruited within 3 weeks of their arrival to the US. At baseline, mean height SDS was −1.2 ± 1.1 and 22% were <−2 SDS for height. IGF-1 and/or IGFBP-3 levels <−2 SDS were present in 32%. CUG, defined as a gain of >+0.5 in height SDS, was seen in 62% of adoptees at 6 months after adoption; 7% of children remained <−2 SDS for height (two had growth hormone deficiency). Growth factors improved in the majority of children. Younger age, greater degree of initial growth failure, and higher caloric intake were significantly associated with improved linear growth in multiple regression models. In summary, most adoptees demonstrate excellent CUG within six months after adoption. If growth failure persists after 6 months of appropriate caloric intake, nutrition-independent causes should be considered