Availability and Management of Cotton Byproducts in North Carolina: A State Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 7-7
Author(s):  
Elizabeth P Mullins ◽  
Matt H Poore ◽  
April Shaeffer ◽  
Deidre D Harmon ◽  
Carrie L Pickworth
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
The State ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Cattle Feed ◽  
Livestock Feed ◽  
Cotton Gins ◽  
Local Supply ◽  
Whole Cottonseed ◽  
Question Survey ◽  
Cotton Gin

Abstract Whole cottonseed and cotton gin byproduct, also known as gin trash or cotton burrs, are known to be economical feed ingredients for beef cattle diets. There are several sources of information available to producers regarding the feeding of cotton byproducts; however, there is little information on the local supply chain and availability of these products. The objective was to survey cotton gins in North Carolina to determine how whole cottonseed and cotton gin byproduct are marketed. The 19-question survey was developed using Qualtrics survey software and emailed to all cotton gins in the state. Those who failed to respond to the weblink were contacted by phone. This resulted in a 73.5% response rate (n = 25 responses). Data were analyzed using the reporting feature of Qualtrics. On average, 7,716 metric tons of cottonseed and 1,523 metric tons of gin byproduct are produced per gin during a typical season. All respondents reported that the majority of their whole cottonseed is marketed out-of-state as livestock feed. All respondents reported that they either already sell or would consider selling cottonseed locally as cattle feed. In contrast, 78% of respondents reported that the majority of their gin byproduct stays in the state, with 40% being sold as cattle feed and the remaining 60% either being stockpiled and allowed to decompose on-site or used as compost. Of the respondents, 95% already sell gin byproduct locally as cattle feed or would consider doing so. The majority of respondents (92%) answered that they would like to be added to a directory to be distributed to cattle producers. This survey demonstrates that North Carolina cotton gins have cotton byproducts available and that they are interested in selling these locally to cattle producers.

Japanese-language videos on YouTube as a source of public health information for COVID-19 (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeo Yasu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
The State ◽  
Video Content ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
Public Health Information ◽  
Youtube Videos ◽  
Spread Of Infection

BACKGROUND Serious public health problems, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can cause an infodemic. Sources of information that may cause an infodemic include social networking services; YouTube, which consists of content created and uploaded by individuals, is one such source. OBJECTIVE To survey the content and changes in YouTube videos that present public health information about COVID-19 in Japan. METHODS We surveyed YouTube content regarding public health information pertaining to COVID-19 in Japan. YouTube searches were performed on March 6, 2020 (before the state of emergency), April 14 (during the state of emergency), and May 27 (after the state of emergency was lifted), with 136, 113, and 140 sample videos evaluated, respectively. The main outcome measures were: (1) The total number of views for each video, (2) video content, and (3) the usefulness of the video. RESULTS In the 100 most viewed YouTube videos during the three periods, the number of videos on public health information in March was significantly higher than in May (p = .02). Of the 331 unique videos, 9.1% (n = 30) were released by healthcare professionals. Useful videos providing public health information about the prevention of the spread of infection comprised only 13.0% of the sample but were viewed significantly more often than not useful videos (p = .006). CONCLUSIONS Individuals need to take care when obtaining information from YouTube before or early in a pandemic, during which time scientific evidence is scarce.

scholarly journals Assessing the Potential of Catch-Only Models to Inform on the State of Global Fisheries and the UN’s SDGs

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6101
Author(s):  
Rishi Sharma ◽  
Henning Winker ◽  
Polina Levontin ◽  
Laurence Kell ◽  
Dan Ovando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stock Assessment ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
The State ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Traditional Assessment ◽  
Stock Status ◽  
Stock Assessments ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Measure Of Performance

Catch-only models (COMs) have been the focus of ongoing research into data-poor stock assessment methods. Two of the most recent models that are especially promising are (i) CMSY+, the latest refined version of CMSY that has progressed from Catch-MSY, and (ii) SRA+ (Stock Reduction Analysis Plus) a recent developments in field. Comparing COMs and evaluating their relative performance is essential for determining the state of regional and global fisheries that may be lacking necessary data that would be required to run traditional assessment models. In this paper we interrogate how performance of COMs can be improved by incorporating additional sources of information. We evaluate the performance of COMs on a dataset of 48 data-rich ICES (International Council for the Exploration of Seas) stock assessments. As one measure of performance, we consider the ability of the model to correctly classify stock status using FAO’s 3-tier classification that is also used for reporting on sustainable development goals to the UN. Both COMs showed notable bias when run with their inbuilt default heuristics, but as the quality of prior information increased, classification rates for the terminal year improved substantially. We conclude that although further COM refinements show some potential, most promising is the ongoing research into developing biomass or fishing effort priors for COMs in order to be able to reliably track stock status for the majority of the world’s fisheries currently lacking stock assessments.

scholarly journals Qualitative perspectives of the North Carolina healthy food small retailer program among customers in participating stores located in food deserts

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Haynes-Maslow ◽  
Stephanie B. Jilcott Pitts ◽  
Kathryn A. Boys ◽  
Jared T. McGuirt ◽  
Sheila Fleischhacker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Food Deserts ◽  
State Legislature ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
The State ◽  
The North

Abstract Background The North Carolina Healthy Food Small Retailer Program (NC HFSRP) was established through a policy passed by the state legislature to provide funding for small food retailers located in food deserts with the goal of increasing access to and sales of healthy foods and beverages among local residents. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine perceptions of the NC HFSRP among store customers. Methods Qualitative interviews were conducted with 29 customers from five NC HFSRP stores in food deserts across eastern NC. Interview questions were related to shoppers’ food and beverage purchases at NC HFSRP stores, whether they had noticed any in-store efforts to promote healthier foods and beverages, their suggestions for promoting healthier foods and beverages, their familiarity with and support of the NC HFSRP, and how their shopping and consumption habits had changed since implementation of the NC HFSRP. A codebook was developed based on deductive (from the interview guide questions) and inductive (emerged from the data) codes and operational definitions. Verbatim transcripts were double-coded and a thematic analysis was conducted based on code frequency, and depth of participant responses for each code. Results Although very few participants were aware of the NC HFSRP legislation, they recognized changes within the store. Customers noted that the provision of healthier foods and beverages in the store had encouraged them to make healthier purchase and consumption choices. When a description of the NC HFSRP was provided to them, all participants were supportive of the state-funded program. Participants discussed program benefits including improving food access in low-income and/or rural areas and making healthy choices easier for youth and for those most at risk of diet-related chronic diseases. Conclusions Findings can inform future healthy corner store initiatives in terms of framing a rationale for funding or policies by focusing on increased food access among vulnerable populations.

Forecasting State Income Tax Collections: A New Approach

1978 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Reaume
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Income Distribution ◽  
Income Tax ◽  
The State ◽  
New Approach ◽  
State Income Tax ◽  
State Income ◽  
Complete Detail ◽  
The Law

This paper reports on an application of the microsimulation method to the estimation of income tax collections for the State of North Carolina. Detailed forecasts of Income distribution make it Possible to model the law in nearly complete detail. The model provides quarterly forecasts of collections disaggregated by withheld taxes, declarations payments, final payments, and refunds.

Infant Sleep Position: Pediatricians' Advice to Parents

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-58
Author(s):  
Bonnie B. Hudak ◽  
Jane O'Donnell ◽  
Nadine Mazyrka
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
New York ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Sleep Position ◽  
Infant Sleep ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Professional Literature ◽  
Infant Sleep Position ◽  
Supine Sleep ◽  
Question Survey

Objective. The American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) recommendation for side or supine sleep position in healthy babies has generated much controversy. We surveyed primary care physicians to determine the effect of the AAP statement on physician attitude toward infant sleep position and advice to parents. Methods. We sent a 23-question survey to 194 physicians in Western New York. The survey addressed their attitude toward the AAP recommendations and its impact on their advice to parents. Results. Of the 149 physicians treating newborns, 121 (82%) completed the questionnaire; 98% were aware of the AAP statement. The most common sources of information were the AAP (86%) and professional literature (77%). Of the respondents, 79% agreed with the AAP statement. Reasons for reservation were lack of data (64%), potential adverse consequences of supine position (52%), and their own experience (47%). Gender, years in practice, and type of reimbursement did not influence attitude toward the AAP recommendation. The AAP statement increased the frequency with which physicians routinely discussed sleep position from 34 to 70% (P < .02). Physicians recommending the prone position decreased from 57 to 7% (P < .001), while those recommending supine sleep position increased from 10 to 42% (P < .001). Conclusions. Most physicians agreed with the AAP statement and more frequently discussed sleep position following the AAP recommendations. However, they did not routinely recommend supine sleep position. The majority (69%) recommended the side position even though it is unstable. Although the AAP statement has increased discussion of infant sleep position by primary care physicians in WNY, only a minority recommend that infants sleep supine.

FITNESS CLUBS FACING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (specjalny) ◽  
pp. 159-172
Author(s):  
Marcin Komańda
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
The State ◽  
Electronic Business ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Fitness Clubs ◽  
Fitness Industry ◽  
Model Components ◽  
Financial Issues ◽  
Insight Into

The establishment of the state of epidemic in Poland in March 2020 caused significant difficulties in accessing certain services or a total ban on their rendering. The fitness industry faced the inability to provide activity. This extraordinary situation forced entities in the fitness industry (including fitness clubs) to face a number of challenges related to surviving the closing period. These include, first of all, financial issues, the development of electronic business model components, as well as thinking about the conditions of running business after lifting the ban. The aim of the paper is to analyse the actions taken by the Polish fitness clubs during the lockdown period (13/03/2020-06/06/2020) caused by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). It covers recognizing the thinking of these clubs about the possibilities of acting despite these restrictions, as well as immediately after lifting restrictions on the service activities of this industry. The method of analysing the situation of the industry was based on two sources of information: a review of the literature and industry reports on the situation before the lockdown and media information presenting its state during the lockdown. The combination of information from both sources gave a unique insight into the justifications of the activities announced and undertaken by the Polish fitness club industry.

Exploring the accountability relationship between non-profit organisations and the state auditor

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne G. Carman
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
The State ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Board Members ◽  
Training And Education ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
The North ◽  
Audit Reports

This article explores the accountability relationship between the state auditor’s office and non-profit organisations by examining the audit reports prepared by the North Carolina State Auditor’s Office for non-profit organisations from 2009 to 2018. The data collected for this study show that the extent to which the state auditor conducts audits of non-profit organisations is fairly limited. Yet, when it does audit them, it is doing so to police their behaviours, monitor their expenditures and ensure that they are being good stewards with the resources they have been given. The findings from this study have important implications, in that they suggest that other accountability mechanisms continue to be important, including: training and education for board members about their legal and fiduciary responsibilities; the importance of adhering to best practices and standards; and the important role that third-party watchdog organisations and accreditors can play in ensuring non-profit accountability.

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