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Purpose: Knee joint distraction is a surgical procedure with cartilage-regenerating properties. The composition of joint distraction-regenerated cartilage in human patients is poorly documented. In this case-study, provided a unique opportunity to biomolecularly characterize the regenerated tissue from a patient who underwent bilateral distraction and later knee replacements. Methods: Knee joint distraction was conducted using an external fixation frame and total knee arthroplasty was performed several years later. Radiographic imaging was performed to assess the status of the knee joint prior, during and after clinical interventions. Following total knee replacement, cartilage biopsies were collected and processed for tissue sectioning and histochemical staining. Tandem mass-spectrometry proteomics analysis was used to characterize and compare the proteomic composition. Results: Both knee joints showed joint-space improvement pre- and post-knee joint distraction. Regenerated cartilage was white with an irregular surface, while native (lateral) cartilage had a yellow appearance and smooth surface. Histochemical staining showed higher Safranin-O positivity in native cartilage compared to regenerated cartilage, and differences in collagen structure. Proteomic analysis did not reveal major differences in cartilage extracellular matrix protein abundance. Bioinformatic analyses revealed enrichment in ribosomal proteins (regenerated cartilage) and RNA Polymerase II Transcription Termination (native cartilage). Conclusion: Histologically, knee joint distraction-regenerated cartilage showed less glycosaminoglycans and disorganized collagen compared to native cartilage. However, mass-spectrometry has no major differences in extracellular matrix protein abundance, with proteomic clues suggesting protein translation regulation as a potential mechanism for regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article promotes and advocates for the integration of psychobiography into academic training in psychology. While psychobiography has been foundational to the discipline of psychology since Freud's study of Leonardo da Vinci, its procedures and methods have been sorely neglected in academic psychology. Following a brief introduction to psychobiography, the authors provide a historical review of the specialty area, review the current scope of psychobiographical training in psychology, and summarize the benefits of psychobiography to both the training of students and the broader psychology field. Next, models and examples of psychobiography integration across three continents and five countries are provided. The article concludes with specific recommendations for advancing psychobiography in academic psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blue foods are highly diverse and are supported by a wide range of ecosystems, production practices, and markets. This diversity influences resiliency of aquatic food systems, their capacity to contribute to global food security, and the spread of knowledge and adoption of innovations. Here, trends in diversity and determinants of diversity in capture fisheries and aquaculture production were examined at the global and country level. Results show that fisheries production is more diverse than aquaculture production, and that social and economic factors appear to be as important for species diversity as biophysical factors. The diversity of fisheries is diminished when governance is weak, and this poses challenges for managing fisheries for nutrition-sensitive food production. It also illustrates the greater potential of aquaculture to address challenges related to access given that less diversity in aquaculture is created by economies of scale making food more accessible among lower income groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonality is a natural feature of wild caught fisheries that introduces variation in food supply, and which often is amplified by fisheries management systems. Seasonal timing of landings patterns and linkages to consumption patterns can have a potentially strong impact on income for coastal communities as well as import patterns. This study characterizes the relationship between seasonality in seafood production and consumption in the United States by analyzing monthly domestic fisheries landings and imports and retail sales of farmed and wild seafood from 2017 to 2019. Analyses were conducted for total seafood sales, by product form, by species group, and by region of the United States. The data reveal strong seasonal increases in consumption around December and March. Seasonal increases in consumption in Spring and Summer occurred in parallel with domestic fishing production. Domestic landings vary by region, but most regions have peak fishing seasons between May and October. Alaska has the largest commercial fishery in the United States and seasonal peaks in Alaska (July/August, February/March) strongly influence seasonality in national landings. Misalignment between domestic production and consumption in some seasons and species groups creates opportunities for imports to supplement demand and lost opportunities for domestic producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Savannization and de-savannization are two land cover transition processes that are yet to be understood at a local scale in subSaharan Africa. We studied the patterns across different ecological, anthropogenic and climatic factors to infer the trends of savannization and de-savannization in Old Oyo National Park, Nigeria. Geospatial technology and two machine learning methods were used to determine the pattern, dynamics, and importance of savannization and de-savannization with a set of thirteen eco-climatic variables. The savannized areas with total land cover masses of 934.27 km² in 1986–2003 decreased to 901.01 km² in 2003–2019, and vice versa for de-savannized areas. The thirteen eco-climatic variables contributed to savannization and de-savannization within the two transition intervals in varying degrees. Relevant stakeholders should employ mild burn severity to manage savannization at locations close to host communities, rivers, and roads within elevations above 450 m and low rainfall in the dry season below 6 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML) technologies in healthcare have immense potential to improve the care of patients. While there are some emerging practices surrounding responsible ML as well as regulatory frameworks, the traditional role of research ethics oversight has been relatively unexplored regarding its relevance for clinical ML. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive research ethics framework that can apply to the systematic inquiry of ML research across its development cycle. The pathway consists of three stages: (1) exploratory, hypothesis-generating data access; (2) silent period evaluation; (3) prospective clinical evaluation. We connect each stage to its literature and ethical justification and suggest adaptations to traditional paradigms to suit ML while maintaining ethical rigor and the protection of individuals. This pathway can accommodate a multitude of research designs from observational to controlled trials, and the stages can apply individually to a variety of ML applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While a large number of studies have investigated seafood consumption in various markets, surprisingly little is known about the types of seafood sold in retail outlets or their product forms in the USA. This is particularly true for fresh seafood, which is generally regarded as the most valuable product form of seafood. In this article, a unique dataset on retail in-store seafood sales that includes information about three main product forms (fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable products) was analyzed. Fresh seafood is important, as it makes up 43% of sales revenue. Moreover, some species are almost exclusively sold fresh, with trout and lobster as prime examples. Fresh also includes the greatest diversity of species and, as such, is the most likely product form for new producers to succeed. National sales are dominated by a few species, with salmon and shrimp accounting for a large portion of the fresh (27%) and frozen categories (43%), respectively, and tuna dominating the shelf-stable category (75%). There are also a large number of species with mostly small market shares. There are few differences in regional sales patterns for the main species, with notable exceptions such as whitefish in New England and crawfish in Louisiana and Texas. The degree of urbanization and income level appears as the important drivers for seafood sales. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/23308249.2021.1946481 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Feedback' from climate change into the economy is critical. But what kind of 'feedback'? Given capitalist structures and inter-state rivalry in the global economy, there is little in the way of overall planning, and certainly no effective power to act for capitalism 'in general'. The fossil fuel bloc is deeply embedded in the economy, and is not afraid to press its advantage; the emerging renewable economy is gaining strength, but remains subordinate. Yet intensifying climate change and failing climate policy are creating new political pressures. This article addresses efforts to target fossil fuel corporates through divestment campaigns and argues the main 'feedback' to date is socio-political. It tracks how the threat of climate policy translates into 'transition risk' for investment strategy, and produces a growing loss of confidence in fossil capital. In this, we argue the climate contradictions of capitalist society have destructive effects but offer transformative potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on commentators taking the time for commenting on the work. Topics include data sovereignty and collaboration in the research process respecting indigeous forms of knowledge and independence; and facilitating the development of research being sensitive to the harms and benefits of AI/ML research.

Seafood is among the most highly traded food commodities, and one will expect trade patterns to be highly dynamic. In this paper, trade duration is investigated for Chinese shrimp exports using firm-level data for the period 2007–2015. In line with the results from the general literature, most trade relationships in the Chinese exports of shrimp are short-lived and influenced by the market as well as product characteristics. The results indicate that it is also important to account for firm-specific characteristics, large firms have more stable trade relationships. It is also worthwhile to note that the firms located within Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have a shorter trade duration than those outside of SEZs, indicating these firms' opportunistic market behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customer value propositions are promoted as critical for technology startups. However, empirical evidence supporting the beneficial effects of startups using customer value propositions is lacking. We draw on a theory of integrating devices to develop and empirically test a model that describes how a technology startup may use customer value propositions to learn about customers and adapt its market offering to gain pilot customers. Using structural equation modeling, we test our theoretical model with a dataset of 293 German new technology-based startups. We find support that adopting the customer's perspective, quantifying monetary value, and substantiating the value proposition are critical steps to gaining pilot customers. Our findings suggest that a customer value proposition can be understood as catalyst for learning about customers and tweaking the market offering – making the offering more compelling because of the value proposition's specificity through monetary quantification. Future research could investigate in more detail the role of monetary quantification in the uncertain context of startups, the role of pilot customers to provide support and resources, as well as antecedents and consequences for startups of working with pilot customers. Our research underscores the importance for a technology startup to look at its own market offering from the customer's point of view – that is the starting point for benefitting from customer value propositions. Furthermore, a startup should start early sharing ideas with prospective customers about its market offering and the initial customer value proposition. And despite considerable uncertainty, a startup should aim for monetary quantification, because that focusses data gathering and helps to substantiate the customer value proposition. The role of a customer value proposition is not to portray a definite calculation of customer value, but to provide a startup with a concrete but also evolving understanding of customer value to help the startup improve its market offering and attract pilot customers. Most of the literature on customer value propositions has focused on established supplier firms. Startups, however, face some unique conditions that do not allow simply transferring ideas about customer value propositions for established firms to startups. The primary contribution of this study is the development and empirical test of a theoretical model of the process for how, together with customers, technology startups use customer value propositions in business markets to guide learning about their market offerings to achieve market success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns that additional supplies of U.S. farm-raised fish may compete with domestic wild fish has contributed to resistance and litigation that has slowed aquaculture development in the U.S. We employ a contingent choice experiment to large seafood wholesalers and suppliers in the U.S. to investigate market potential of new farmed finfish species from the Gulf of Mexico. We estimate probabilities that wholesale buyers prefer a new farmed product over existing market products using a conditional logit model. The results indicate it is more probable that Gulf farmed fish will substitute for imports than for domestic wild-caught fish given U.S. wholesale buyers have a preference for domestic fish to imported fish, but no significant preference for wild-caught fish to farmed fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discussions about global aquaculture production and prospects for future growth largely focus on Asia, where most global production takes place. Countries in Asia accounted for about 89% of global production in 2016. Exclusive attention to Asian aquaculture, however, overlooks the fact that "the blue revolution" is occurring in most parts of the world. This paper examines patterns in the development of aquaculture production by analyzing growth rates across the globe at the regional, species and country levels. The results show that production in some non-Asian countries is growing more rapidly than the major Asian producers. Moreover, most developed countries have played a limited role in the blue revolution despite being leading producers as late as the 1970s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Synovial fluid (SF) is in close proximity to tissues which are primarily altered during articular disease and has significant potential to better understand the underlying disease pathogeneses of articular pathologies and biomarker discovery. Although development of mass spectrometry-based methods has allowed faster and higher sensitivity techniques, interrogation of the SF proteome has been hindered by its large protein concentration dynamic range, impeding quantification of lower abundant proteins. Areas covered: Recent advances have developed methodologies to reduce the large protein concentration dynamic range of SF and subsequently allow deeper exploration of the SF proteome. This review concentrates on methods to overcome biofluid complexity, mass spectrometry proteomics methodologies, extracellular vesicles proteomics and the application of advances within the field in clinical disease, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis and juvenile arthritis. A narrative review was conducted with articles searched using PubMed, 1991-2018. Expert opinion: The SF proteomics field faces various challenges, including the requirement for rigorous and standardised methods of sample collection/storage, the sensitivity and specificity of proteomic assays, techniques to combat the large protein concentration dynamic range and comprehensive data analysis to reduce falsely identified markers. Additionally, there are challenges in developing multi 'omic' integration techniques, with computational integration enhancing analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses that the Gifts have served as a fundamental aspect of the human experience across time, even as their precise roles and functions have shifted. It mentions that the bioethicists and others have drawn upon anthropologist Marcel Mauss' insights concerning gifts to help understand healthcare issues as diverse as organ transplantation, blood donation and the role of the pharmaceutical industry.

The article offers information on Accountability in the Machine Learning Pipeline: The Critical Role of Research Ethics Oversight. It mentions authors frequently imply that the development of healthcare Machine Learning involves research, but avoid explicitly naming ethics review boards as overseers of the Evaluation and Oversight pipeline.

The land border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, and an 'Irish Sea border' between the whole island and Great Britain, are pivotal to Brexit negotiations. A 'hard' land border with customs checks would damage the all-island economy and Ireland's peace settlement and be highly porous. A sea border would be a less damaging and much more efficient option, but the Democratic Unionist Party claims it would undermine Northern Ireland's constitutional position in the UK. A 'hard' border could be prevented and a sea border rendered unnecessary if the whole of the UK stayed in alignment with the EU's Single Market, but that is unlikely. The threat of a 'hard' land border can be simply a bargaining ploy, but some Brexiters who prioritize new trade deals with other countries over maintaining existing trade with the EU press towards leaving the EU without an overall deal. That would push the conflict back to the EU's so-called Backstop of a special arrangement for Northern Ireland along with the contentious 'Irish Sea border' option. This Commentary outlines the background and public discussion around the various alternatives in the Brexit negotiations, as seen from British, Irish and EU perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-geographic density estimation (TGDE) is a method of movement pattern analysis that generates a continuous intensity surface from a set of tracking data. TGDE has recently been proposed as a method of animal home range estimation, where the goal is to delineate the spatial extents that an animal occupies. This paper tests TGDE’s effectiveness as a home range estimator using simulated movement data. First, an agent-based model is used to simulate tracking data under 16 movement scenarios representing a variety of animal life history traits (habitat preferences, homing behaviour, mobility) and habitat configurations (levels of habitat fragmentation). Second, the accuracy of TGDE is evaluated for four temporal sampling frequencies using three adaptive velocity parameters for 30 sample data sets from each scenario. Third, TGDE accuracy is compared to two other common home range estimation methods, kernel density estimation (KDE) and characteristic hull polygons (CHP). The results demonstrate that TGDE is the most effective at estimating core areas, home ranges and total areas at high sampling frequencies, while CHP performs better at low sampling frequencies. KDE was ineffective across all scenarios explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose:To describe the development and implementation of an organizational framework for client and family-centered research. Method:Case report. Results:While patient-centered care is now well established, patient-centered research remains underdeveloped. This is particularly true at the organizational level (e.g., hospital based research institutes). In this paper we describe the development of an organizational framework for client and family centered research at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto, Canada. Conclusion:It is our hope that, by sharing our framework other research institutions can learn from our experience and develop their own research patient/client/family engagement programs.Implications for rehabilitationFamily engagement in rehabilitation research•Rehabilitation research is crucial to the development and improvement of rehabilitative care.•The relevance, appropriateness, and accountability of research to patients, clients and families could be improved.•Engaging clients and families as partners in all aspects of the research process is one way to address this problem.•In this paper, we describe a framework for engaging clients and families in research at the organizational level. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: To critically analyze appropriate clinical studies to assess the relationship between health conditions and the frequency of private prayer. Private prayer is defined as individuals praying for themselves.Methods: Using PubMed and other search engines, we identified over 300 articles reporting relationships between prayer and health conditions. We identified 41 observational clinical studies that evaluated the relationship between private prayer and health conditions. Prayer scores of 5 to 1 were assigned to studies, with 5 being private prayer for health and 1 being prayer in combination with meditation or Bible study. Frequency scores ranged from 3 to 1 with 3 being twice daily or more and 0 when frequency was not assessed. Studies were ranked from 8 to 1 based on the sum of Prayer and Frequency Scores.Results: Twenty-one studies had Prayer-Frequency scores of 5 to 8, indicating that they evaluated private prayer (praying for one's own health) of suitable frequency in association with health conditions. Nine of 11 studies indicated that private prayer was associated with a significantly lower prevalence of depression (P value, <0.01). Optimism as well as coping were significantly improved by prayer in four studies (P value, P < 0.01). In 10 studies of mental health conditions-including anxiety and confusion-there was a significant benefit associated with prayer (P < 0.01), In the reviewed studies, prayer did not have a significant effect on physical health or blood pressure.Conclusion: The reported observational studies suggest that frequent private prayer is associated with a significant benefit for depression, optimism, coping, and other mental health conditions such as anxiety. Controlled clinical trials are required to critically assess the associations of private prayer and health conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seafood sector can contribute to the global food supply in an important way, and provide an important source of animal protein. Based on observed regional trends in seafood production and consumption and using a global, partial-equilibrium, multi-market model, this study investigates what the global seafood market may look like in 2030. The model projects that the total fish supply will increase from 154 million tons in 2011 to 186 million tons in 2030, with aquaculture entirely responsible for the increase. The fastest aquaculture growth is expected for tilapia and shrimp, while the largest expansion is expected in India, Latin America and Caribbean and Southeast Asia. Fast-growing seafood demand in China and elsewhere represents a critical opportunity for global fisheries and aquaculture to improve their management and achieve sustainable seafood economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bush honeysuckle genus ( Lonicera) comprises a suite of invasive shrubs that are naturalized in early successional landscapes throughout many parts of central and eastern United States. Although several studies have connected the use of bush honeysuckle as a nesting substrate to decreased nesting success, few have examined its potential effects on the growth or decline of songbird populations. From 2007-2009, we examined the nesting success of Field Sparrows ( Spizella pusilla) in southwestern Pennsylvania old-fields to assess reproductive success based on nesting substrate and the density of Morrow's honeysuckle ( Lonicera morrowii) surrounding the nest site. We used the information-theoretic approach to model nesting success as a response to nest substrate, cover of Morrow's honeysuckle, midpoint of nesting attempt, and clutch size. Our model indicated that Morrow's honeysuckle, as a substrate and when found in dense patches surrounding the nests of Field Sparrows, had a negative impact on nesting success. We developed a population model to determine if the measured reproductive success (17% ± 5) could maintain a stable population. Results of the population model yielded 1.21 female offspring/adult female. This was not sufficient to maintain a stable population and resulted in a population sink. A sensitivity analysis indicated that adult survivorship was the most influential parameter in the population model, indicating that although breeding success was important, it was not the primary driver of population stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Strehler and Mildvan (SM) general theory of ageing and mortality provides a mechanism-based explanation of Gompertz's law and predicts a log-linear relationship between the two Gompertz coefficients, known as the SM correlation. While the SM correlation is supported by data from developed countries before the second half of the twentieth century, the recent breakdown of the correlation pattern in these countries has prompted demographers to conclude that SM theory needs to be reassessed. In this paper we use a newly developed two-process vitality model to explain the SM correlation and its breakdown in terms of asynchronous trends in acute (extrinsic) and chronic (intrinsic) mortality factors. We propose that the mortality change in the first half of the twentieth century is largely determined by the elimination of immediate hazards to death, whereas the mortality change in the second half is primarily driven by the slowdown of the deterioration rate of intrinsic survival capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Just as the type and duration of physical activity can have variable effects on the glucose levels and other cardiometabolic parameters among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), so can the types of foods have variable effects as well. This 12-week randomized study of 51 study participants evaluated the impact of routine consumption of dark raisins versus alternative processed snacks on glucose levels and other cardiovascular risk factors among patients with type T2DM. In this study, compared to alternative processed snacks, those who consumed raisins had a significant 23% reduction in postprandial glucose levels (P= 0.024). Also compared to snacks, those who consumed raisins had a 19% reduction in fasting glucose and 0.12% reduction in hemoglobin A1c, although these latter findings did not achieve statistical significance. Regarding blood pressure, compared to alternative processed snacks, those who consumed raisins had a significant 8.7 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure (P= 0.035) (7.5% [P= 0.031]) but did not experience a significant reduction in diastolic blood pressure. Compared to alternative processed snacks, those who consumed raisins did not have a significant improvement in body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), triglyceride, or non-HDL cholesterol levels. Overall, these data support raisins as a healthy alternative compare to processed snacks in patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant litter decomposition varies by species and environmental conditions. To study environmental controls of decomposition, we measured plant litter decomposition rates in six wetlands located in West Virginia, USA. Four common wetland litter species were used: broadleaf cattail (Typha latifoliaL.), common rush (Juncus effususL.), brookside alder (Alnus serrulata(Ait.) Willd.), and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinaceaL.). A fifth litter type was created from a mix of common rush, brookside alder, and reed canary grass. Litter bags were collected over two years, from December 2007 to December 2009, and environmental variables near litter bags were measured every two weeks. Nine environmental parameters and one study parameter were then used to construct and test the ability of 22 a-priori models to predict the decomposition rate of each litter type. The environmental variables that most influenced and, therefore, best predicted decomposition rate varied among litter types. Brookside alder decomposition rate was best predicted by soil temperature (ST), water pH (WPH), and the number of transitions between flooded and exposed conditions (FET); reed canary grass decomposition rate was best predicted by air temperature (AT), WPH, and ST; common rush decomposition rates were best predicted by AT; broadleaf cattail decomposition rate was best predicted by hydroperiod (HP) and FET; and the mixed litter decomposition rate was best predicted by AT and WPH. Overall, AT, ST, and WPH were directly related to decomposition rate, while HP was inversely related. The FET was directly related to decomposition rates of common rush and broadleaf cattail and inversely related to the decomposition rate of brookside alder. The study of litter decomposition helps reveal the link between environmental conditions and wetland function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutation is the ultimate source of all genetic variation in populations and yet they remain unobservable and buried in the past. Long-lived individuals of Armillaria gallica, a common opportunistic fungal pathogen of tree roots in temperate forests of the northern hemisphere, provide a spatial context for examining the mutational dynamic. Each individual of A. gallica arises in a single mating between two haploid gametes and the resulting diploid then grows vegetatively to occupy a discrete spatial territory often including many adjacent tree root systems. In effect, this leaves a spatial record of growth over time within which mutations can be localized. To identify mutations, the entire genomes of three spatially separated samples of one individual of A. gallica approximately 200 x 60 m were sequenced and compared. In this comparison, mutations and regions of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) were identified then assayed in another 20 isolates from the same individual by conventional PCR and Sanger sequencing. The genotype network of all mutations and LOH were without internal conflict. Further, the spatial pattern of genotypes was nonrandom and appeared to reflect the vegetative expansion leading to the present-day individual. The results reflect the spectrum of spontaneous mutation in nature and provide insight into cellular generation times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of simple slit impactors for air sampling of mold contamination was compared under field conditions. Samples were collected side-by-side, outdoors in quadruplicates with Burkhard (ambient sampler) and Allergenco MK3 spore traps and with two identical Allergenco slit cassettes operated at diverse flow rates of 5 and 15 L/min, respectively. The number and types of mold spores in each sample were quantified by microscopy. Results showed all four single-stage slit impactors produced similar spore yields. Moreover, paired slit cassettes produced similar outcomes despite a three-fold difference in their sampling rate. No measurable difference in the amount or mix of mold spores per m3of air was detected. The implications for assessment of human exposures and interpretation of indoor/outdoor fungal burden are discussed. These findings demonstrate that slit cassettes capture most small spores, effectively and without bias, when operated at a range of flow rates including the lower flow rates used for personal sampling. Our findings indicate sampling data for mold spores correlate for different single stage impactor collection methodologies and that data quality is not deteriorated by operating conditions deviating from manufacturers’ norms allowing such sampling results to be used for scientific, legal, investigative, or property insurance purposes. The same conclusion may not be applied to other particle sampling instruments and mulit-stage impactors used for ambient particulate sampling, which represent an entirely different scenario. This knowledge may help facilitate comparison between scientific studies where methodological differences exist. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

People are increasingly utilising patient online communities (POC) to seek useful health information and empathetic support. Success of POC is reliant upon the willingness of members to contribute useful information and knowledge. Few studies have examined the influence of interpersonal bonds between members on members’ contribution of information and knowledge within the context of POC. We investigated how trust, social identity, and empathy influence members’ willingness to contribute knowledge to POC. Results indicated that trust and social identity within POC positively influenced the development of empathy. Empathy in turn exerted a positive influence on willingness to contribute personal knowledge and experience. Social identity also directly influenced members’ willingness to contribute knowledge. The findings highlight the importance of trust, empathy, and a sense of group cohesiveness within online health settings in motivating members to contribute knowledge and support to other participants in POC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report are two television programs venerated for their comedic criticisms of mainstream media and society. The shows exemplify the art of sociopolitical satire, using humor to expose hypocrisies in media coverage, illuminate inconsistencies and facetiously reveal folly. The Daily Show and The Colbert Report arguably represent a legitimate form of news media, but they are distinct from the traditional media that Herman and Chomsky (1988/2002) assailed when formulating their propaganda model for US mass media. Notably, the two shows parody an industry that routinely propagandizes on behalf of powerful societal interests, and they satirize the status quo in an ostensibly subversive fashion. Using the propaganda model as a theoretical lens, this study examines The Daily Show and The Colbert Report to throw light on how the satirical news format informs the propaganda model. With the model as an analytical guide, this essay explores instances in which the two shows deconstructed dominant discourses and ideologies disseminated by commercial media. Conversely, strong hegemonic elements discovered within the discourses of both programs speak to the dichotomous nature of discursive humor and the inherent paradox of sociopolitical parody. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which aimed to determine the effects of soy protein consumption on serum lipoproteins. In 1999, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a health claim on the role of soy protein in reducing the risk of coronary heart (CHD) disease by lowering blood cholesterol levels. It is suggested that regular intake of 1 to 2 servings (about 15 to 30 grams) of soy protein daily has good impact on serum lipoprotein risk factors for CHD.

The extensive development of surface and subsurface drainage systems to facilitate agricultural production throughout North America has significantly altered the hydrology of landscapes compared to historical conditions. Drainage has transformed nutrient and hydrologic dynamics, structure, function, quantity, and configuration of stream and wetland ecosystems. In many agricultural regions, more than 80% of some catchment basins may be drained by surface ditches and subsurface drain pipes (tiles). Natural channels have been straightened and deepened for surface drainage ditches with significant effects on channel morphology, instream habitats for aquatic organisms, floodplain and riparian connectivity, sediment dynamics, and nutrient cycling. The connection of formerly isolated wetland basins to extensive networks of surface drainage and the construction of main channel ditches through millions of acres of formerly low-lying marsh or wet prairie, where no defined channel may have previously existed, have resulted in large-scale conversion of aquatic habitat types, from wetland mosaics to linear systems. Reduced surface storage, increased conveyance, and increased effective drainage area have altered the dynamics of and generally increased flows in larger streams and rivers. Cumulatively, these changes in hydrology, geomorphology, nutrient cycling, and sediment dynamics have had profound implications for aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents a bioeconomic framework for assessing the economic feasibility of an offshore bluefin tuna aquaculture operation by developing a dynamic stochastic adaptive bioeconomic model of such an offshore enterprise. The bioeconomic model incorporates the biological constraints of the species, the interaction of relevant economic parameters and constraints, and stochastic sources of risk to solve for the profit maximizing behavior of a farmed bluefin tuna producer. The model identifies the optimal harvest schedule for an offshore bluefin tuna farming facility that maximizes the net present value of the operation under a variety of economic, biological and regulatory conditions. Such a model is relevant given the growing prevalence of bluefin tuna farming worldwide, the present lack of studies formally examining the economics of this form of production, and the uncertainty surrounding the economic feasibility and sustainability of this form of production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]