Home and wild food procurement were associated with improved food security during the COVID-19 pandemic in two rural US states.

Both food insecurity and home and wild food procurement (HWFP), including gardening, increased in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic; yet little evidence has demonstrated what impact HWFP had on food security. Using data from a representative sample of nearly 1000 residents in the two most rural US states (Vermont and Maine) conducted via an online survey in Spring/Summer 2021, as well as matching techniques, we compare food security outcomes among households who did and did not participate in HWFP in the first year of the pandemic. Nearly 60% of respondents engaged in HWFP in some way during the first year of the pandemic, with food insecure households more likely to do HWFP.

A Mixed-Methods Approach to the Development of a Disaster Food Security Framework.

Background: Limited research on food systems and food insecurity (FI) following disasters finds contextual differences in post-disaster food systems that shape dimensions of FI. Measurement limitations make it difficult to address FI and develop effective practices for disaster-affected communities.

Objective: To develop, validate, and test a Disaster Food Security Framework (DFSF).

Weaning U.S. food-animals off antimicrobials: What can we learn from state- and city-level policies?

Antimicrobials are widely used worldwide in food animal production for controlling and preventing disease and for improving feed conversion efficiency and growth promotion. Inappropriate use of antimicrobials in animal agriculture has the potential to promote antimicrobial resistance, which represents a threat to human, animal, and environmental health. State and municipal policies in the United States have recently been implemented to improve antimicrobial use and reporting in this sector.

Learning and STEM identity gains from an online module on sequencing-based surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in the environment: An analysis of the PARE-Seq curriculum.

COVID-19 necessitated the rapid transition to online learning, challenging the ability of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) professors to offer laboratory experiences to their students. As a result, many instructors sought online alternatives. In addition, recent literature supports the capacity of online curricula to empower students of historically underrepresented identities in STEM fields.

Cost-effectiveness of management strategies for patients with recurrent ovarian cancer and inoperable malignant bowel obstruction.

Objectives: Patients with recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer often present with inoperable malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) from a large burden of abdominal disease. Interventions such as total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and chemotherapy may be used in this setting. We aim to describe the relative cost-effectiveness of these interventions to inform clinical decision making.

Removal of 17α-ethynylestradiol and β-estradiol using bench-scale constructed wetlands.

Aquatic ecosystems have been devastated by the continued persistence of the synthetic estrogen compounds β-estradiol and 17α-ethynylestradiol. Common wastewater treatment methods do not reduce these compounds in effluent below problematic concentrations. An emerging cost-effective solution to this problem is the use of constructed wetlands to remove these estrogen compounds.

Frequency and Predictors of Trauma Transfer Futility to a Rural Level I Trauma Center.

Introduction: Transfer of trauma patients whose injuries are deemed unsurvivable, often results in early death or transition to comfort care and could be considered misuse of health care resources. This is particularly true where tertiary care resources are limited. Identifying riskfactors for and predicting futile transfers could reduce this impact and help to optimize triage and management.

Duration of Antibiotic Therapy in Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections: Shorter is Safe.

Early debridement improves outcome in necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI), but there is no consensus on duration of antimicrobial therapy. We recently changed practice to discontinue antibiotic agents early with a goal of 48 hours after adequate source control. We hypothesized that discontinuing antibiotic agents after a short course is safe in the treatment of NSTI.

Soluble FAS Ligand Enhances Suboptimal CD40L/IL-21-Mediated Human Memory B Cell Differentiation into Antibody-Secreting Cells.

Differentiation of Ag-specific B cells into class-switched, high-affinity, Ab-secreting cells provides protection against invading pathogens but is undesired when Abs target self-tissues in autoimmunity, beneficial non-self-blood transfusion products, or therapeutic proteins. Essential T cell factors have been uncovered that regulate T cell-dependent B cell differentiation. We performed a screen using a secreted protein library to identify novel factors that promote this process and may be used to combat undesired Ab formation.

Identification of transcription factors controlling cell wall invertase gene expression for reproductive development via bioinformatic and transgenic analyses.

Cell wall invertase (CWIN) hydrolyses sucrose into glucose and fructose in the extracellular matrix and plays crucial roles in assimilate partitioning and sugar signalling. However, the molecular regulators controlling CWIN gene transcription remain unknown. As the first step to address this issue, we performed bioinformatic and transgenic studies, which identified a cohort of transcription factors (TFs) modulating CWIN gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Healthy cells functionally present TAP-independent SSR1 peptides: implications for selection of clinically relevant antigens.

Tumors with an impaired transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) present several endoplasmic reticulum-derived self-antigens on HLA class I (HLA-I) which are absent on healthy cells. Selection of such TAP-independent antigens for T cell-based immunotherapy should include analysis of their expression on healthy cells to prevent therapy-induced adverse toxicities. However, it is unknown how the absence of clinically relevant antigens on healthy cells needs to be validated.

PAKC: A novel panel of HLA class I antigen presentation machinery knockout cells from the same genetic origin.

A single model system for integrative studies on multiple facets of antigen presentation is lacking. PAKC is a novel panel of ten cell lines knocked out for individual components of the HLA class I antigen presentation pathway. PAKC will accelerate HLA-I research in the fields of oncology, infectiology, and autoimmunity.

The SPPL3-Defined Glycosphingolipid Repertoire Orchestrates HLA Class I-Mediated Immune Responses.

HLA class I (HLA-I) glycoproteins drive immune responses by presenting antigens to cognate CD8 T cells. This process is often hijacked by tumors and pathogens for immune evasion. Because options for restoring HLA-I antigen presentation are limited, we aimed to identify druggable HLA-I pathway targets.

To the Point: Integrating the Obstetrics and Gynecology Core Clerkship into a Longitudinal Integrated Curriculum in US Medical Schools.

This article, from the "To the Point" series that is prepared by the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) Undergraduate Medical Education Committee, is a review of issues to consider when integrating obstetrics and gynecology into a Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) model. The background, objectives, and outcomes related to LIC are discussed. Specific challenges and solutions for structuring an LIC in the context of obstetrics and gynecology are examined, which include student/faculty issues as well as process matters such as general infrastructure and specific curriculum concerns.

Ecological Economics Beyond Markets.

Non-market practices and institutions make up much of every economy. Even in today's most developed capitalist societies, people produce things that are not for sale and allocate them through sharing, gifts, and redistribution rather than buying and selling. This article is about why and how ecological economists should study these non-market economies.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) funding of job development and placement services: Implications for rural reach.

Background: Results-based funding models can improve Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) client employment outcomes, but evidence suggests that gaps in services occur when provider risk is not compensated.

Objective: The purpose of this qualitative study is to learn how VR agencies deliver and pay for job development and placement services, the factors that shape decision-making, and the outcomes of such decisions.

Methods: Administrators from 40 VR agencies identified informants to take part in qualitative interviews about how their agency delivers, contracts, and pays for job development services.

Neuroimmune/Hematopoietic Axis with Distinct Regulation by the High-Mobility Group Box 1 in Association with Tachykinin Peptides.

Hematopoiesis is tightly regulated by the bone marrow (BM) niche. The niche is robust, allowing for the return of hematopoietic homeostasis after insults such as infection. Hematopoiesis is partly regulated by soluble factors, such as neuropeptides, substance P (SP), and neurokinin A (NK-A), which mediate hematopoietic stimulation and inhibition, respectively.

Developing as an Academic Medical Educator in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The lack of a defined framework for advancement and development of professional identity as a medical educator may discourage faculty from pursuing or progressing through a career in academic medical education. Although career advancement has historically been linked to clinical work and research, promotion for teaching has not been supported at the same level. Despite potential challenges, a career in academic medicine has its share of rewards.

To the Point: a prescription for well-being in medical education.

This article is from the "To The Point" series prepared by the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Undergraduate Medical Education Committee. The purpose of this review was to provide an overview of the importance of well-being in medical education. A literature search was performed by a Reference Librarian who used Ovid/MEDLINE to identify scholarly articles published in English on learner well-being, using the search terms "burnout," "resilience," "wellness," and "physicians" between 1946 and January 11, 2019.

To the point: undergraduate medical education learner mistreatment issues on the learning environment in the United States.

This article, from the To the Point series prepared by the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Undergraduate Medical Education Committee, is an overview of issues to consider regarding learner mistreatment and its effects on the undergraduate medical education learning environment in the United States. National data from the American Association of Medical Colleges Graduate Questionnaire and local data regarding learner mistreatment provide evidence that the learning environment at most medical schools needs to be improved. The American Association of Medical Colleges' definition of learner mistreatment focuses on active mistreatment, but data on passive mistreatment also contribute to a negative learning environment.

T Cells Specific for an Unconventional Natural Antigen Fail to Recognize Leukemic Cells.

MHC-bound peptides from aberrant proteins may be a specific immunotherapeutic target on cancer cells. Because of difficulties in identifying such antigens, viral or model antigens have so far been used to study their biological relevance. We here identify a naturally existing human T-cell epitope derived from a truncated protein.

To the Point: The expanding role of simulation in obstetrics and gynecology medical student education.

This article, from the "To the Point" series prepared by the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) Undergraduate Medical Education Committee (UMEC), provides educators with an overview of the use of simulation in undergraduate medical education in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. Simulation plays an important role in the education of medical students. Students are increasingly serving as clinical observers and providing less direct patient care.

To the point: gender differences in the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship.

Gender differences in performance on the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship have been reported, with female students outperforming male students. Male students report that their gender negatively affects their experience during the clerkship. Additionally, there are fewer male students applying for obstetric/gynecology residency.

Evaluation of a developmental hierarchy for breast cancer cells to assess risk-based patient selection for targeted treatment.

This study proposes that a novel developmental hierarchy of breast cancer (BC) cells (BCCs) could predict treatment response and outcome. The continued challenge to treat BC requires stratification of BCCs into distinct subsets. This would provide insights on how BCCs evade treatment and adapt dormancy for decades.