scholarly journals What’s for dinner this time?: DNA authentication of “wild mushrooms” in food products sold in the USA

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11747
Author(s):  
W. Dalley Cutler II ◽  
Alexander J. Bradshaw ◽  
Bryn T.M. Dentinger
Keyword(s):  
Lentinula Edodes ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Wild Mushrooms ◽  
Online Retail ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Dna Metabarcoding ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Cultivated Species ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Poisonous Mushrooms

Mushrooms have been consumed by humans for thousands of years, and while some have gastronomic and nutritional value, it has long been recognized that only select species of mushrooms are suitable for consumption. Adverse health effects of consuming poisonous mushrooms range from mild illness to death. Many valuable edible mushrooms are either impractical or unable to be grown commercially, requiring them to be harvested from the wild. In the U.S., products containing these wild-collected mushrooms are often sold with the nonspecific and undefined label “wild mushrooms,” although in some cases particular species are listed in the ingredients. However, the ambiguity of the definition of “wild mushrooms” in foods makes it impossible to know which species are involved or whether they are truly wild-collected or cultivated varieties. As a consequence, any individual adverse reactions to consuming the mushrooms in these products cannot be traced to the source due to the minimal regulations around the harvest and sale of wild mushrooms. For this study, we set out to shed light on what species of fungi are being sold as “wild mushrooms” using DNA metabarcoding to identify fungal contents of various food products acquired from locally sourced grocers and a large online retail site. Twenty-eight species of mushroom were identified across 16 food products, ranging from commonly cultivated species to wild species not represented in global DNA databases. Our results demonstrate that “wild mushroom” ingredients often consist entirely or in part of cultivated species such as the ubiquitous white and brown “button” mushrooms and portabella (Agaricus bisporus), oyster (Pleurotus spp.) and shiitake (Lentinula edodes). In other cases truly wild mushrooms were detected but they were not always consistent with the species on the label. More alarmingly, a few products with large distribution potential contained species whose edibility is at best dubious, and at worst potentially toxic.

Opportunities for improving the insider laws: A comparative analysis of the practice in the USA and Russia

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 796-814
Author(s):  
E.K. Ovakimyan
Keyword(s):  
Financial Markets ◽  
Insider Trading ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Market Manipulation ◽  
Insider Information ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Legislative Perfection ◽  
Definition Of

Subject. The article examines the laws regulating insider trading. Objectives. The study outlines recommendations for refining Law On Countering the Illegal Use of Insider Information and Market Manipulation and Amendments to Some Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation, № 224-ФЗ of July 27, 2010. Methods. The methodological framework includes a general dialectical method, analysis and synthesis, induction and deductions, and some specific methods, such as comparative and formal logic analysis to specify the definition of insider information, structural logic and functional analysis to improve the mechanism for countering insider trading and market manipulation. Results. We discovered key drawbacks to be addressed so as to improve the business environment in Russia. Although the Russia laws mainly mirror the U.S. laws, they present a more extended list of terms concerning the insider information. I believe the legislative perfection should be continued. Conclusions and Relevance. The study helps apply the findings to outline a new legislative regulation or amend the existing ones, add a new mention on the course of financial markets to students’ books, develop new methods for detecting and countering and improving the existing ones. If all parties to insider relationships use the findings, they will prevent insider trading crimes in financial markets and (or) reduce the negative impact of such crimes on the parties.

Ciguapas in New York: Transcultural Ethnicity and Transracialization in Dominican American Performance

2012 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
EMILIA MARÍA DURÁN-ALMARZA
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
The Usa ◽  
And Migration ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Dominican Women ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Dominican American

The Dominican American community in New York is perhaps one of the best examples of how processes of transculturation are affecting traditional definitions of ethnic identification. Given the intense economic, social and cultural transnational exchanges between the island and the USA from the 1960s, Dominicanyorks have been challenging the illusion of homogeneity in the definition of Americanness for decades, creating transnational social networks that transcend traditional national and ethnographic boundaries. The theatrical works of Josefina Báez, a Dominican American performer living in New York, and Sherezada (Chiqui) Vicioso, a Dominican poet and playwright who lived and worked in the US metropolis for decades before moving back to the Dominican Republic, lyrically explore issues of diaspora, identity and migration and the impact these phenomena might have in the lives of migrant Dominican women. Presenting diasporic experiences from two differing but interconnected locales – New York and the Dominican Republic – these plays offer two complementary views on the ways in which ethnicity, race, social class, age and geopolitical location interact in the formation of transcultural identities, thus contributing to develop a hemispheric approach to the study of identity formation in the Americas.

scholarly journals Assessing foods offered in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) using the Healthy Eating Index 2010

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 1315-1326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Byker Shanks ◽  
Teresa Smith ◽  
Selena Ahmed ◽  
Holly Hunts
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Healthy Eating Index ◽  
Food Distribution ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Indian Reservations ◽  
Food Packages ◽  
Food Package ◽  
The Usa

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the nutritional quality of food packages offered in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) using the Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010).DesignData were collected from the list of the food products provided by the US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Handbook 501 for FDPIR. Nutritional quality was measured through a cross-sectional analysis of five randomly selected food packages offered through FDPIR. HEI-2010 component and total scores were calculated for each food package. ANOVA and t tests assessed significant differences between food packages and HEI-2010 maximum scores, respectively.SettingThis study took place in the USA.SubjectsStudy units included food products offered through FDPIR.ResultsThe mean total HEI-2010 score for the combined FDPIR food packages was significantly lower than the total HEI-2010 maximum score of 100 (66·38 (sd 11·60); P<0·01). Mean scores for total fruit (3·52 (sd 0·73); P<0·05), total vegetables (2·58 (sd 0·15); P<0·001), greens and beans (0·92 (sd 1·00); P<0·001), dairy (5·12 (sd 0·63); P<0·001), total protein foods (4·14 (sd 0·56); P<0·05) and refined grains (3·04 (sd 2·90); P<0·001) were all significantly lower than the maximum values.ConclusionsThe FDPIR food package HEI-2010 score was notably higher than other federal food assistance and nutrition programmes. Study findings highlight opportunities for the FDPIR to modify its offerings to best support lifestyles towards prevention of diet-related chronic disease.

scholarly journals One method, two worlds

Groupwork ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Annie Pullen Sansfaçon ◽  
Valérie Roy ◽  
Dave Ward
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Organisational Context ◽  
Current State ◽  
Local Contexts ◽  
The World ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Definition Of

<p>Looking at practices in different locations is beneficial since it helps challenge assumptions that we may take for granted. Groupwork, as a method of social work, is specifically interesting to explore in the light of different contexts since, like social work, it may or may not translate well across cultures. This paper draws from data collected in the context of a research project that aimed to describe the current state of social work with groups in Quebec and to explore trends within social work with groups elsewhere in the world. Specifically, it focuses on the exploration of practices in Quebec and discusses them in relationship to those found in the USA, as a counterpoint. Our findings highlight some differences and similarities between Quebec and the USA with regard to groupwork, which leads us to discuss a range of factors that may impact on groupwork in the different contexts. Of these, the differences of organisational context and organisation of services have emerged as particularly noteworthy, which echoes findings in general social work literature with regard to the importance of local contexts on the definition of practice itself.</p>

scholarly journals Library and Information Science in the USA and Iran

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Nguessan ◽  
Shima Moradi
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
General Education ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Comparative Investigation ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Historical Perspectives ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Definition Of

In a context of global mobility of skilled professionals, this is a comparative study of library science education and librarianship in the USA and Iran. The study attempts to determine how education and professional skills may transfer from one country to another. Historically, the USA and Iran are two different major centers of development of knowledge, science and technology and culture. Each one of these two countries developed its own system of general education and library science education and professional practice. This study investigates the definition of the librarian profession, historical perspectives, types of librarians and librarian-related positions, the initial academic training of librarian (schools, duration, curriculum, and accreditation), daily activities of librarians, continuing education, and opportunities and challenges of the profession in each country. The qualitative research methods was selected to conduct this study. This investigation leads to a comparative analysis pointing out similarities and differences. The first part of the paper present historical perspectives and library science education and librarianship. The second part of the paper presents contemporary library science education and librarianship in each country. The last part of the paper is a comparative critical discussion of both systems. This study concludes that, even though both systems are different, with the globalization of knowledge, education, and communications, under certain circumstances, one could consider a librarian &ldquo;qualified&rdquo; to practice across the border. Contributions: The comparative investigation of LIS profession and education have been conducted for the first time.

scholarly journals Interrupted time Series Design to Evaluate ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM Coding Changes on Trends in Colorado Emergency Department visits Related to Traumatic Brain Injury

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Alexis De Crescenzo ◽  
Barbara Alison Gabella ◽  
Jewell Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
P Value ◽  
Icd 10 ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Definition Of

Abstract Background. The transition in 2015 to the Tenth Revision of the International Classification of Disease, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) in the USA led public health professionals to propose a surveillance definition of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that uses ICD-10-CM codes. The proposed definition excludes “unspecified injury of the head,” previously included in the ICD-9-CM TBI definition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this change in surveillance methods on monthly rates of TBI-related emergency department visits in Colorado from 2012 to 2017.Results. The monthly rate of TBI-related emergency department visits in the transition month to ICD-10-CM (October 2015) decreased 41 visits per 100,000 population (p-value <0.0001), compared to September 2015, and remained low through December 2017, due to the exclusion of “unspecified injury of head” (ICD-10-CM code S09.90) in the proposed TBI definition. Conclusion. This study highlights a challenge in creating a standardized set of TBI ICD-10-CM codes for public health surveillance that provides comparable yet clinically relevant estimates over time. The findings inform estimation of TBI magnitude based on ICD coded data and decisions about allocating TBI resources based on an estimated TBI magnitude.

scholarly journals A Review of the Main Issues on the Loan Contracts: Asymmetric Information, Poor Transparency, and Hidden Costs

Economies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Rundo ◽  
Luigi Di Stallo
Keyword(s):  
Financial Indicators ◽  
Subprime Mortgage ◽  
Financial Reforms ◽  
Loan Contracts ◽  
Information Gap ◽  
Specific Objective ◽  
Default Rates ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Over Time

The well-known subprime mortgage crisis, which began to manifest in early 2007, since when the effects of the speculative bubble begin to become evident from the increase in default rates in residential mortgages, has triggered a global crisis that has pushed various legislations over time to implement a series of financial reforms with the specific objective of avoiding that similar phenomena could be repeated over time. The ability to repay a loan is strongly influenced by the amortization algorithm that the bank has decided to adopt. This appears even more evident in variable interest rate loans since, as the economic conditions of the indexation parameter change, the definition of the loan balance and the related portion of interest will be decisive in relation to the borrower’s ability to repay the loaned capital. A study of the main amortization algorithms and the related descriptions in the bank contracts will allow us to show which are the main issues due to an information asymmetry that, unfortunately, characterizes this type of contract and would seem to be one of the main reasons that lie at the root of the aforementioned crisis of subprime mortgages in the USA. Moreover, the authors will provide a clear analysis of the financial indicators usually reported in loan contracts and how often these indications are insufficient to characterize the actual cost of the loan. Furthermore, by highlighting the discretionary choice that banks often obtain following the contractual loan schemes commonly offered to retail and corporate clients, we will show how this often translates into greater cost to the borrower. Finally, we will propose two possible solutions to the problems highlighted, thus allowing us to reduce this information gap, which unfortunately translates into greater costs for customers with the associated increase in default rates, or the so-called nonperforming loan (NPLs) contracts. Therefore, the objective of this contribution is to show which are the most critical aspects of the bank contracts related to contractual transparency and to the presence or otherwise of hidden costs, i.e., not expressly shown in the contract. Specifically, we refer to the loan contracts issued in Italy both with reference to the local banking legislation and to the European one to which Italy must often refer.

scholarly journals Comparison of food and beverage products’ availability, variety, price and quality in German and US supermarkets

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (18) ◽  
pp. 3387-3393
Author(s):  
Nanette Stroebele-Benschop ◽  
Kerstin Wolf ◽  
Katharine Palmer ◽  
Casey J Kelley ◽  
Stephanie B Jilcott Pitts
Keyword(s):  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Food Products ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
General Tendency ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Impact

AbstractObjective:To assess availability, variety, price and quality of different food products in a convenience sample of supermarkets in Germany and the USA.Design:Cross-sectional study using an adapted version of the Bridging the Gap Food Store Observation Form.Setting:Information on availability, quality, price and variety of selected food products in eight German and seven US supermarkets (discount and full service) was obtained and compared by country.Results:A general tendency for lower prices of fruits and vegetables in Germany was observed, while produce quality and variety did not seem to differ between countries, with the exception of the variety of some vegetables such as tomatoes. Chips and cereals did not differ significantly in variety nor price. In both countries, high energy-dense foods were lower in energy costs than lower energy-dense foods.Conclusions:The influence of food prices and availability on consumption should be further explored, including the impact of country differences.

ECONOMIC-DEMOGRAPHIC DEPENDENCY RATIO IN A LIFE-CYCLE MODEL

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1635-1673
Author(s):  
Sau-Him P. Lau ◽  
Albert K. Tsui
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Retirement Age ◽  
Dependency Ratio ◽  
Life Cycle Model ◽  
Cycle Model ◽  
Stochastic Mortality ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Parameter Values

The conventional dependency ratio based on cohort-invariant cutoff points could overstate the true burden of population aging. Using optimal cohort-varying years of schooling and retirement age in a life-cycle model, we propose a modified definition of dependency ratio. We compare the proposed economic-demographic dependency ratio (EDDR) with the conventional definition and find that the conventional dependency ratio of the USA is projected to increase by 0.105 from 2010 to 2060, which is an over-projection of 86% when compared with the projected increase of 0.015 in the EDDR over the same period. Sensitivity analysis suggests that our finding is quite robust to reasonable changes in parameter values (except for one parameter), and the magnitude of over-projection ranges mainly from 0.079 to 0.102 (i.e., 75% to 97%). We follow the well-established Lee–Carter model to forecast stochastic mortality and employ the method of expanding duration to decompose the sources of over-projection.

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