scholarly journals The Evolution of a Process for Selecting and Prioritizing Plant Diseases for Recovery Plans

Plant Disease ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 665-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. McRoberts ◽  
C. S. Thomas ◽  
J. K. Brown ◽  
F. W. Nutter ◽  
J. P. Stack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
The United States ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Recovery Plan ◽  
System A ◽  
Recovery System ◽  
Management Approaches ◽  
The Cost

One element of the cost of dealing with invasive species in the United States is the recovery from the arrival of exotic plant pathogens. We review the development of a process used to prioritize plant diseases for the federally mandated United State Department of Agriculture National Plant Disease Recovery System. A team of university, government, and industry scientists worked together over a 10-year period to develop a science-based objective approach to the challenge of effectively preparing for recovery plans from introduced pathogens, when the timing of the introduction of any single disease is unknown. Over time, the process transitioned from ad hoc, in which recovery plans were written when the relevant experts were able to do so, to a formally organized group-prioritization effort from which emerged the concept of generic recovery plan templates for groups of pathogens and diseases that have similar biological characteristics, and therefore, similar management approaches. Key characteristics for each template were determined through a multivariate analysis for 14 plant diseases for which a recovery plan already existed. The process was validated by a larger group of 15 plant pathologists, for which results were compared with those scored by 14 subject matter experts.

Impact of the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service on plant pathology: 2015 – 2020

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy L Widmer ◽  
Jose M. Costa
Keyword(s):  
Plant Pathology ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Research Impact ◽  
The United States ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Citrus Diseases ◽  
Agricultural Research Service ◽  
Research Service

There is an increasing need to supply the world with more food as the population continues to grow. Research on mitigating the effects of plant diseases to improve crop yield and quality can help provide more food without increasing the land area devoted to farming. National Program 303 (NP 303) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service is dedicated to research across multiple fields in plant pathology. This review article highlights the research impact within NP 303 between 2015 and 2020, including case studies on wheat and citrus diseases and the National Plant Disease Recovery System, which provide specific examples of this impact.

The Democratization of Administration: The Farmer Committee System

1953 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 704-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reed L. Frischknecht
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Structural Requirement ◽  
Agricultural Conservation ◽  
Field Service ◽  
The Past ◽  
System A ◽  
Agricultural Price ◽  
Positive State

The emergence in full flower, during the past twenty years, of the “positive state” has meant a great extension of administrative activity. This activity has been attacked as undemocratic by some persons whose concern was primarily with the programs carried out rather than with the means used to execute the programs. But the friends and even the originators of the programs have sometimes had an uncomfortable feeling that the traditional administrative mechanism has undemocratic tendencies. They have sought some means of democratizing the administrative process.The most ambitious—indeed, the only thoroughgoing—attempt has been the use by the United States Department of Agriculture of the farmer committee system for the field service administration of agricultural price and income support programs, begun in 1933, and, since 1936, of the Agricultural Conservation Programs. This farmer committee system comprises over 100,000 farmers elected or appointed to serve on approximately 48 state, 3,000 county, and 29,000 community committees. The champions of this system believe that it decentralizes administration, putting authority and responsibility in the hands of those immediately affected by the programs. Further, it supplies new vitality to administration by drawing the clientele into the administrative processes. These objectives have imposed a significant structural requirement upon decentralized administration—the use of the committee system, a plural executive, in preference to a single administrator.

scholarly journals Costs of medical care for mesothelioma

Rare Tumors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 203636131986349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Borrelli ◽  
Zachary Babcock ◽  
Stephen Kogut
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Medical Cost ◽  
The United States ◽  
Healthcare Research ◽  
Cost Of Care ◽  
Discharge Data ◽  
System A ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Mean Cost

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and devastating form of cancer with an increasing economic burden. We sought to describe the direct cost burden of mesothelioma to the US health system. A systematic literature review was performed to locate published estimates of the medical cost of mesothelioma. In addition, we performed an analysis of hospital discharge data from the National Inpatient Sample, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. We also reviewed publicly available legal settlements. We found that published estimates of the cost of medical care for mesothelioma are sparse, and differ with respect to nation, timeframe, and types of cost included. For the year 2014 in the United States, we estimated a mean cost per mesothelioma hospitalization of US$24,124 (95% confidence interval: US$20,819–US$28,983) and a total cost for hospital care of US$44,214,835. In conclusion, we found that reports describing the direct medical cost of care for mesothelioma in the United States are lacking, yet the per-patient cost of care is substantial, as evidenced by analyses of inpatient care and legal settlements.

scholarly journals Application of the Swimming Pool Backwash Water Recovery System with the Use of Filter Tubes

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (21) ◽  
pp. 6620
Author(s):  
Waldemar Studziński ◽  
Wojciech Poćwiardowski ◽  
Weronika Osińska
Keyword(s):  
High Efficiency ◽  
Swimming Pool ◽  
Cost Comparison ◽  
Water Recovery ◽  
Water Turbidity ◽  
System A ◽  
Recovery System ◽  
Pool System ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Ozone Disinfection

During the operation of swimming pools, large losses of water from the backwash of swimming pool filters are observed. This water is often discharged into sewers or used to sprinkle sports grounds. The aim of the research was to design and build an installation for purification and recovery of backwash water (BWW). It consists of flocculation, pre-filtration, and ultrafiltration based on filter tubes and ozone disinfection. Backwash water treatment installation contributes to purification and improvement of water quality. The effectiveness of the removal of microbial contamination with the use of the system was over 99%. The high efficiency of removing physicochemical impurities was also achieved. Water turbidity was reduced from 96.9 NTU to 0.13 NTU. After using the system, the oxidability of water decreased from 6.26 mg O2∙dm−3 to 0.4 mg O2∙dm−3. When using the system, a reduction of total organic carbon by 80% was also noticed. After the treatment process, water meets the strict criteria and can be returned to the pool system of water as fresh water with parameters of supply water—directly to the overflow tank. It has been shown that up to 96% of water can be recovered with the technology. The cost comparison showed annual savings of over EUR 9,000.

Principles of Diagnostic Assay Validation for Plant Pathogens: A Basic Review of Concepts

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 272-278
Author(s):  
Kitty Cardwell ◽  
Geoffrey Dennis ◽  
Andrew R. Flannery ◽  
Jacqueline Fletcher ◽  
Doug Luster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Diagnostic Test ◽  
Plant Disease ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
The United States ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Diagnostic Assays ◽  
Assay Validation

Diagnostic test results are used for many purposes and are heavily relied upon to prevent movement of pathogens from one country or region to another; to clear plants as free from disease for commerce; and to surveil against natural, accidental, or unintentional pathogen introductions and new and reemerging diseases. Diagnostic test results are also used by plant producers to make critical management decisions. The level of confidence in each assay is defined by a set of metrics that describe the performance of the assay under defined conditions. Collectively, these metrics are called “validation” of the assay. There are hundreds of diagnostic plant disease assays used every day in the United States that either are not validated or are validated in an ad hoc way. An endemic pathogen in one region can be an exotic pathogen in another. Therefore, this multitude of diagnostic assays for which performance criteria are not standardized impairs communication about confidence in the test outcome. We propose to create a framework for standardizing assay validation language and definitions within the United States across existing plant diagnostic networks. The long-term goal is to have operable standards, understanding the “trueness” of assay results, and sustained communications between diagnostic laboratories that use and those that develop plant disease diagnostic assays.

scholarly journals An Economic Impact Evaluation of Government Programs: The Case of Brucellosis Control in the United States

1979 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Ian Liu
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Impact Evaluation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Federal Spending ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Government Programs ◽  
Program Costs ◽  
Inspection Service

Public spending in government programs to control animal and plant diseases, parasites, and other pests that reduce agricultural production amounts to more than $150 million annually [3]. These programs and activities are administered by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture. In recent years, program costs have increased rapidly and USDA officials have been asked many questions by the Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, and others about the need for certain programs. Because of steadily increasing pressure to reduce federal spending, public decision makers urgently need reliable aggregate measures of the performance of their programs.

scholarly journals Advances in Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) Rootstocks Worldwide

Horticulturae ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 267
Author(s):  
Mercè Rovira
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Corylus Avellana ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
States Department ◽  
Orchard Management ◽  
Corylus Avellana L ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Selection Of

Studies on hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) rootstocks have been limited to date. However, the use of vigorous, non-suckering rootstocks for this species could increase the cost-effectiveness of orchards by reducing the annual need to prune suckers, thus facilitating mechanical harvesting, and reducing orchard management costs and environmental impact. Seedlings of the non-suckering Turkish tree hazel (C. colurna L.) have been used traditionally in Serbia. In the 1970s, the United States Department of Agriculture in Corvallis, Oregon (USA) released the first two non-suckering clonal rootstocks—‘Dundee’ and ‘Newberg’—from open-pollinated seeds of C. colurna. Moreover, selection of C. avellana cvs. with few suckers is continuing. Trials carried out in different countries with own-rooted and grafted plants have shown good performance of grafted hazelnuts. Currently, some nurseries in several countries are propagating hazelnut rootstocks and grafting trees for planting commercial orchards. Interest in these cultivar/rootstock combinations is increasing, and more new orchards of grafted trees are expected to be planted in the coming years.

scholarly journals Concluding Remarks: Moving Forward on Scientific Knowledge and Management Approaches to Tropical Forests in the Anthropocene Epoch

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 572
Author(s):  
Grizelle González ◽  
Ariel E. Lugo
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
The United States ◽  
United States Department ◽  
International Institute ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Quarter Century ◽  
Tropical Forestry ◽  
Atmospheric Sciences ◽  
Management Approaches

The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry (the Institute) celebrates its 75th Anniversary with the publication of this Special Issue of Forests. This Issue is based on presentations delivered in a symposium held in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2014. It augments a quarter century of scientific knowledge and capitalizes on a unique set of synergies chartered by a strategy based on shared stewardship, innovative transdisciplinary collaborations, and breakthroughs in science and technology. The manuscripts contained here present advancements in our approach to the development of policies for effective governance and stewardship, long-term focus for the understanding of ecosystem processes and functions, novelties given attention to cross-boundary collaborative approaches to science, and proposed alternative institutional visions in the Anthropocene. As the Institute continues to collaboratively explore new frontiers in science, we recognize advances in forestry, atmospheric sciences, modeling, hydrology, plant physiology, and microbial ecology as core to the understanding of tropical forests in the Anthropocene.

Sentenced by an algorithm — Bias and lack of accuracy in risk-assessment software in the United States criminal justice system

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-54
Author(s):  
Willem Gravett
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Human Error ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
The United States ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Public Power ◽  
System A ◽  
Implicit Biases

Developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning have caused governments to start outsourcing authority in performing public functions to machines. Indeed, algorithmic decision-making is becoming ubiquitous, from assigning credit scores to people, to identifying the best candidates for an employment position, to ranking applicants for admission to university. Apart from the broader social, ethical and legal considerations, controversies have arisen regarding the inaccuracy of AI systems and their bias against vulnerable populations. The growing use of automated risk-assessment software in criminal sentencing is a cause for both optimism and scepticism. While these tools could potentially increase sentencing accuracy and reduce the risk of human error and bias by providing evidence-based reasons in place of ‘ad-hoc’ decisions by human beings beset with cognitive and implicit biases, they also have the potential to reinforce and exacerbate existing biases, and to undermine certain of the basic constitutional guarantees embedded in the justice system. A 2016 decision in the United States, S v Loomis, exemplifies the threat that the unchecked and unrestrained outsourcing of public power to AI systems might undermine human rights and the rule of law.

Demonstrating Nutrient Cost Gradients: A Brooklyn Case Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 84 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 244-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Karp ◽  
Gary Wong ◽  
Marguerite Orsi
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Energy Content ◽  
Food Selection ◽  
The United States ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Micronutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Caloric Density ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Introduction: Foods dense in micronutrients are generally more expensive than those with higher energy content. These cost-differentials may put low-income families at risk of diminished micronutrient intake. Objectives: We sought to determine differences in the cost for iron, folate, and choline in foods available for purchase in a low-income community when assessed for energy content and serving size. Methods: Sixty-nine foods listed in the menu plans provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for low-income families were considered, in 10 domains. The cost and micronutrient content for-energy and per-serving of these foods were determined for the three micronutrients. Exact Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for comparisons of energy costs; Spearman rho tests for comparisons of micronutrient content. Ninety families were interviewed in a pediatric clinic to assess the impact of food cost on food selection. Results: Significant differences between domains were shown for energy density with both cost-for-energy (p < 0.001) and cost-per-serving (p < 0.05) comparisons. All three micronutrient contents were significantly correlated with cost-for-energy (p < 0.01). Both iron and choline contents were significantly correlated with cost-per-serving (p < 0.05). Of the 90 families, 38 (42 %) worried about food costs; 40 (44 %) had chosen foods of high caloric density in response to that fear, and 29 of 40 families experiencing both worry and making such food selection. Conclusion: Adjustments to USDA meal plans using cost-for-energy analysis showed differentials for both energy and micronutrients. These differentials were reduced using cost-per-serving analysis, but were not eliminated. A substantial proportion of low-income families are vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies.

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