Marginal probability effects of demographic variables on consumer concerns about pesticide residues were assessed as well as the likelihood of consumer beliefs given different channels of information ...on produce safety and risks. This was done using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) of ordered logit models. The empirical results showed that pesticide residue concern levels appeared to be lower for more highly educated and high income households. Safety information from the academic community was found to have the highest likelihood of acceptance by consumers.
This study demographically determines: which consumers are currently buying organic produce; consumer comparisons of organic and conventional produce; and consumer purchase likelihood of ...higher-priced organic produce. Data were collected from a Delaware consumer survey, dealing with fresh produce and food safety. Multinomial and ordered logit models were developed to generate marginal effects of age, gender, education, and income. Increasing age, males, and advancing education demonstrated positive effects on the likelihood that the consumer was not a regular purchaser of organic produce. Respondents with at least a Bachelor degree were more likely to have organic purchase experience among the non-regular purchasers. A majority of respondents rated organics to be superior overall to conventionally grown produce, with increasing age, males, advancing education, and high income having a negative effect on this probability. Most consumers felt that organic produce would cost at least somewhat more than conventional produce, where females and advancing education positively affected this outcome. Less than one out of every four respondents demonstrated a strong purchase likelihood of a higher-priced organic produce alternative. Young females with a high school degree or less and above average household income were the highest probability group to purchase costlier organic produce.
A nationwide poll concluded that only 28.3 percent of consumers actually sought out organic or limited pesticide-use produce, even though over seventy percent responded that organic produce provides better long-term health effects than conventionally grown produce (Organic Gardening). Some retailers maintain that appearance and price are prohibitive factors in consumer adoption of organic produce (Mejia). These indicators suggest that consumer apathy towards healthfulness hinders consumers from searching out organic produce. However, an area study has shown that availability was consistently identified as a major explanation for not purchasing organics (Byrne). Perhaps consumers are not even aware that the organic alternative exists, or they are not willing to look for organics outside of supermarkets or roadside stands (Byrne).
Ireland and Falk stated that "a majority of groceries do not handle organics because of low availability and perceived consumer demand." Their study found that food retailers, who do handle organics, were almost unanimous in stating that availability was not a problem. Ott and Maligaya found that the majority of consumers would reject organics, if organics were of a lesser quality than conventionally grown produce.
Since organics have grown to be a billion dollar industry (Waterfield), one may assume genuine consumer demand. The studies discussed here do show a purchase likelihood restraint due to price and quality. The Delmarva study indicates that availability is also a deterrent, perhaps larger than price and quality (Byrne).
The purpose of this study is to determine which consumers are and are not buying organic produce, and to analyze their characteristic relationships between organic and conventionally grown produce, as well as their purchase likelihoods. Additionally, the study analyzes the effects that consumer demographics have on these relationships.
Background and Aims: Interferon regulatory factor‐1 (IRF‐1) is a transcription factor with antiviral, proinflammatory and tumor suppressor properties. We examined the role of IRF‐1 in dextran sulfate ...sodium colitis, a murine model of inflammatory bowel disease, to determine if absence of the gene would protect against colitis.
Methods: C57BL/6J mice with a targeted disruption of IRF‐1 and wild‐type C57BL/6J controls received five 7‐day cycles of 2% dextran sulfate sodium alternating with five 7‐day cycles of water. Colonic tissue was formalin fixed for histological analysis and total RNA extracted for gene chip and SYBR green real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis.
Results: Histological analysis revealed increased distortion of crypt architecture in the dextran sulfate sodium‐treated, IRF‐1 –/– animals as compared to dextran sulfate sodium‐treated wild‐type animals. Five of 15 dextran sulfate sodium‐treated IRF‐1 –/– mice, but only one of 14 dextran sulfate sodium‐treated wild‐type mice, developed colonic dysplasia. Microarray analysis comparing colonic gene expression in IRF‐1 –/– and wild‐type animals revealed decreased expression of caspases, genes involved in antigen presentation, and tumor suppressor genes in the IRF‐1 –/– animals. Increased expression of genes involved in carcinogenesis and immunoglobulin and complement genes was also noted in the knock‐out animals.
Conclusions: Absence of IRF‐1 is not protective in dextran sulfate sodium colitis.
This study demographically determines: which consumers are currently buying organic produce; consumer comparisons of organic and conventional produce; and consumer purchase likelihood of ...higher-priced organic produce. Data were collected from a Delaware consumer survey, dealing with fresh produce and food safety. Multinomial and ordered logit models were developed to generate marginal effects of age, gender, education, and income. Increasing age, males, and advancing education demonstrated positive effects on the likelihood that the consumer was not a regular purchaser of organic produce. Respondents with at least a Bachelor degree were more likely to have organic purchase experience among the non-regular purchasers. A majority of respondents rated organics to be superior overall to conventionally grown produce, with increasing age, males, advancing education, and high income having a negative effect on this probability. Most consumers felt that organic produce would cost at least somewhat more than conventional produce, where females and advancing education positively affected this outcome. Less than one out of every four respondents demonstrated a strong purchase likelihood of a higher-priced organic produce alternative. Young females with a high school degree or less and above average household income were the highest probability group to purchase costlier organic produce. A nationwide poll concluded that only 28.3 percent of consumers actually sought out organic or limited pesticide-use produce, even though over seventy percent responded that organic produce provides better long-term health effects than conventionally grown produce (Organic Gardening). Some retailers maintain that appearance and price are prohibitive factors in consumer adoption of organic produce (Mejia). These indicators suggest that consumer apathy towards healthfulness hinders consumers from searching out organic produce. However, an area study has shown that availability was consistently identified as a major explanation for not purchasing organics (Byrne). Perhaps consumers are not even aware that the organic alternative exists, or they are not willing to look for organics outside of supermarkets or roadside stands (Byrne). Ireland and Falk stated that "a majority of groceries do not handle organics because of low availability and perceived consumer demand." Their study found that food retailers, who do handle organics, were almost unanimous in stating that availability was not a problem. Ott and Maligaya found that the majority of consumers would reject organics, if organics were of a lesser quality than conventionally grown produce. Since organics have grown to be a billion dollar industry (Waterfield), one may assume genuine consumer demand. The studies discussed here do show a purchase likelihood restraint due to price and quality. The Delmarva study indicates that availability is also a deterrent, perhaps larger than price and quality (Byrne). The purpose of this study is to determine which consumers are and are not buying organic produce, and to analyze their characteristic relationships between organic and conventionally grown produce, as well as their purchase likelihoods. Additionally, the study analyzes the effects that consumer demographics have on these relationships.
Mitral valve repair has been shown superior to valve replacement for the treatment of non-infectious valve disease. The criteria and results of valve repair for native valve endocarditis are still ...being defined. The study aim was to examine the short- and long-term results of mitral valve repair and replacement for acute infective endocarditis and to define criteria for the use of each technique.
A total of 53 consecutive patients who presented with acute native mitral valve infective endocarditis (diagnosed less than six weeks before surgery) between January 1992 and June 2002 was retrospectively analyzed.
Twenty-one patients (40%) underwent mitral valve repair, and 32 (60%) underwent valve replacement. Operative mortality was 0% for the repair group and 13% (4/32) for the replacement group (p = 0.14). Median follow up was 4 years (range: 6-108 months). At five years follow up, a median ejection fraction (EF) of 60% and mitral regurgitation (MR) grade of 1/4 was observed, with an overall late survival of 85% (19/21), in the repair group, while the replacement group had a median EF of 55% and an overall late survival of 73% (p = 0.73). Recurrent endocarditis occurred in 2/21 (10%) in the repair group and 1/32 (3%) in the replacement group (p = 0.34).
Mitral valve repair is a safe and effective technique to treat acute native mitral valve infective endocarditis with favorable short- and long-term morbidity and mortality. Patients with advanced endocarditis and annular destruction require valve replacement. Mitral valve repair should be performed when technically feasible.
Les objectifs de la recherche étaient d'identifier les principaux soutiens, obstacles et préférences d'apprentissage en lien avec la persévérance des étudiants universitaires autochtones en ligne. ...Deux réunions au sein d'une communauté autochtone ont été organisées, 212 étudiants en ligne autochtones ont été interrogés, 20 étudiants ont été interviewés, et un cercle de discussion a été organisé avec six étudiants universitaires en ligne autochtones. Les facteurs convergents les plus fortement en lien avec la persévérance étaient (a) culturels : recommandations d'une présence accrue de professeurs et de culture autochtones sur le campus, (b) sociaux : bonnes relations avec les professeurs et les étudiants, environnement social positif, gestion du temps et motivation, (c) cognitifs : compétences en littératie, mathématiques et informatique, et (d) physiques : soutien financier, logement abordable, soutien familial et soutien non académique a l'université. Les étudiants ont préféré les médias intégrés, les graphiques, les environnements virtuels et les jeux a d'autres éléments de design de cours en ligne. Le courrier électronique était la méthode préférée pour communiquer avec le corps enseignant. Les textos, les médias sociaux et les environnements virtuels ont été privilégiés pour communiquer avec les autres étudiants. La plupart des étudiants avaient une grande expérience des textos, de Facebook et du chat, mais beaucoup moins des blogs, de Twitter ou des wikis. Les étudiants ont aimé le travail en groupe, mais l'attribution d'une note pour les projets de groupe est allée a l'encontre de la cohésion sociale. La plupart des étudiants a déclaré avoir les compétences nécessaires pour suivre des cours en ligne, a l'exception de la gestion du temps. Les résultats soutiennent un modele humain autochtone holistique de persévérance universitaire qui comprend des éléments sociaux, cognitifs, physiques et culturels qui se croisent.
A series of halogenated pyrrolo 2, 1-b 1, 3 benzoxazines (1-9) was isolated from fermentations of an actinomycete strain X10/78/978 (NCIMB40808), identified as Streptomyces rimosus, during a ...microbial extract screening programme to identify inhibitors of bacterial histidine kinase. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including the HMQC, HMBC and INADEQUATE NMR experiments. The structure of 1 was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic studies. Compounds 5 and 6 were produced in fermentations in the presence of NaBr and Nal respectively. The most abundant member of the series, streptopyrrole, 1, inhibited the nitrogen regulator II (NRII) histidine kinase from Escherichia coli with an IC50 of 20μM and exhibited antimicrobial activity against a range of bacteria and fungi.
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