Collaboration With the State Department of Health

COVID-19 disproportionately affected older adults, creating opportunities for experts in geriatrics and gerontology to support public policy. In Indiana, the Probari team, composed of a geriatrician and a team of nurses with geriatrics and palliative care expertise, supported the state government response to long-term care facilities during the pandemic. The team was involved in helping coordinate all staff testing (534 nursing homes) by the State Department of Health in June and in August, prior to the Federal mandated testing and the distribution of antigen machines. The Probari team also fielded surveys on behalf of the State regarding staff attitudes towards testing and willingness to be vaccinated, to inform state policy and resource efforts. In addition, Probari collaborated with the State Department of Health and the Indiana National Guard by training over 1600 service members to provide non-clinical support in nursing facilities, and monitoring and evaluating that 3 month deployment.

PENAMBAHAN BUBUK EKSTRAK KUBIS MERAH (BRASSICA OLERACEAE VAR. CAPITATA F. RUBRA) SEBAGAI SUMBER ANTIOKSIDAN DAN PEWARNA ALAMI PADA CHEESECAKE

Antosianin merupakan pigmen warna pada tumbuhan yang memiliki aktivitas antioksidan. Antosianin dapat ditemukan pada tumbuhan yang berwarna biru atau merah seperti kubis merah. Upaya untuk meningkatkan antioksidan pada bahan pangan salah satunya dengan cara menambahkan bubuk ekstrak antosianin dari tanaman ke dalam bahan pangan sebagai pewarna alami. Produk makanan yang dapat diberi tambahan pewarna salah satunya adalah kue. Cheesecake yang diberi tambahan bubuk ekstrak kubis merah diharapkan dapat disukai karena memiliki penampilan yang menarik dan memiliki manfaat sebagai antioksidan. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh penambahan bubuk ekstrak kubis merah terhadap kualitas kimia, fisik, mikrobiologi dan organoleptik cheesecake serta mengetahui konsentrasi terbaik penambahan bubuk ekstrak kubis merah. Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL) dengan variasi bubuk ekstrak kubis merah 0% (kontrol), 5% (A), 10% (B), dan 15% (C). Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa cheesecake dengan variasi penambahan bubuk ekstrak kubis merah mempunyai kadar air 42,38-49,06%, kadar abu 0,64-0,84%, kadar protein 4,57-4,81%, kadar lemak 27,17-31,85%, kadar karbohidrat 13,98-24,90%, total fenolik 0,76-1,16 mg GAE/g DW, aktivitas antioksidan 27,27-55,58%, total asam tertitrasi (TAT) 0,01-0,02%, dan uji mikrobiologi yang terdiri dari uji Salmonella dan angka lempeng total yang sudah memenuhi standar yang ditetapkan oleh USDA (United State Department of Agriculture) dan BSN (Badan Standardisasi Nasional). Hasil organoleptik menunjukkan bahwa cheesecake A (5%) merupakan produk yang paling disukai oleh panelis

Using Surveillance With Near–Real-Time Alerts During a Cluster of Overdoses From Fentanyl-Contaminated Crack Cocaine, Connecticut, June 2019

In 2019, Connecticut launched an opioid overdose–monitoring program to provide rapid intervention and limit opioid overdose–related harms. The Connecticut Statewide Opioid Response Directive (SWORD)—a collaboration among the Connecticut State Department of Public Health, Connecticut Poison Control Center (CPCC), emergency medical services (EMS), New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), and local harm reduction groups—required EMS providers to call in all suspected opioid overdoses to the CPCC. A centralized data collection system and the HIDTA overdose mapping tool were used to identify outbreaks and direct interventions. We describe the successful identification of a cluster of fentanyl-contaminated crack cocaine overdoses leading to a rapid public health response. On June 1, 2019, paramedics called in to the CPCC 2 people with suspected opioid overdose who reported exclusive use of crack cocaine after being resuscitated with naloxone. When CPCC specialists in poison information followed up on the patients’ status with the emergency department, they learned of 2 similar cases, raising suspicion that a batch of crack cocaine was mixed with an opioid, possibly fentanyl. The overdose mapping tool pinpointed the overdose nexus to a neighborhood in Hartford, Connecticut; the CPCC supervisor alerted the Connecticut State Department of Public Health, which in turn notified local health departments, public safety officials, and harm reduction groups. Harm reduction groups distributed fentanyl test strips and naloxone to crack cocaine users and warned them of the dangers of using alone. The outbreak lasted 5 days and tallied at least 22 overdoses, including 6 deaths. SWORD’s near–real-time EMS reporting combined with the overdose mapping tool enabled rapid recognition of this overdose cluster, and the public health response likely prevented additional overdoses and loss of life.

Investigation of Vaping Fluids Recovered From New York State E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury Patients

E-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) is a serious pulmonary condition that is associated with the extended use of certain vaping products. EVALI was first characterized in the summer of 2019 and has since been reported in all 50 U.S. states. From August 2019 through June 2021, the New York State Department of Health has reported more than 197 confirmed cases emanating from all regions of the state. The Wadsworth Center at the New York State Department of Heath received vaping cartridges recovered from EVALI patients for chemical analysis of their contents. Untargeted analytical methods using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry as well as targeted analyses for a variety of analytes including cannabinoids, pesticides, vitamin E acetate (VEA) and mycotoxins were used to characterize the composition of the vaping fluids and several commercial vaping fluid additives. From the analyses of the 284 e-cigarette devices recovered from patients, 82 were found to be nicotine-containing pods, and 202 devices containing cannabis oil, apparently from unauthorized or black-market dealers. The fluids from the cannabis-oil cartridges tended to have lower levels of THCs (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol + Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol) and total cannabinoids compared with those of commercially produced formulations and contained significant levels of diluents including VEA, medium-chain triglycerides, polyethylene glycol, and castor oil. VEA was the diluent most frequently detected, which was present in 132 (65.3%) of the vaping fluids that contained cannabis oil. When present, VEA ranged from 2.0 to 67.8% of the total mass of the oil with a mean content of 37.0%. In some cases, two or three diluents were detected in the same sample. The ratio of VEA to THCs varied widely, from 0.07 to 5.34. VEA and specifically the high ratios of VEA to THCs in black-market vaping fluids may be causative in EVALI. The safety of additional components and additives that are present in vaping fluids are likewise of concern.

Perceptions of Fisheries Professionals with Reference to Change in Minimum Qualification for Agricultural Research Services

A study is done with the objective of assessing perceptions of fisheries professionals with reference to revised notification of minimum qualification being Ph.D. for Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Information has been collected from 50 Masters and 50 Doctorate fisheries professionals/students of ICAR-CIFE, Mumbai, using an online Google form and adopting quantitative and qualitative methods. Non parametric Mann Whitney U test is used to check if there is any difference between perception of Masters and Doctorate students. Study reveals that before the notification becoming a ‘Scientist’ was the first career choice of fisheries professionals, followed by ‘Assistant Professor’ and ‘Officer in State Department of Fisheries’. However, after the notification, the first choice has changed to becoming ‘Assistant Professor’ followed by ‘Officer in State Department of Fisheries’ and then ‘Scientist’. Students also perceive advantages and disadvantages of this revised notification. Acceptance of the notification is relatively lower among Masters Students, with a statistically significant difference between the two student groups.

How Others See Us: Anthropologists, WikiLeaks, and the Vertical Slice

Drawing on Laura Nader’s concept of the vertical slice, this article reviews the hundreds of instances where the work of anthropologists, or anthropologists themselves appear in the leaked US State Department documents known as the “Manning Cables” published by WikiLeaks. The analysis of these documents shows anthropologists engaging with the US government in various ways, including in advisory capacities or bringing cultural or political knowledge from peripheral geographical regions to the core. Ethical, political, and disciplinary dimensions of these interactions are discussed, and Nader’s conception of the vertical slice is used to distinguish political dimensions of these anthropological engagements with state power.

State Department Controls on Exports of Defense Articles and Defense Services

Chapter 2 covers U.S. government controls on exports, reexports, and transfers of “U.S.-origin” goods, software, and technology, and the provision of services, that are military in nature. These are governed principally by the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which are administered by the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC). The chapter explains: which items are subject to the ITAR; the basis and criteria for the ITAR’s restrictions; the requirement to register with DDTC if you export or manufacture items subject to the ITAR or if you are involved in other activities regulated by the ITAR; how to determine whether your product or technology is covered and, if so, whether you will need a license to export or reexport it; how to get a license if one is required; how to clear and document the actual export; the potential penalties for violating the rules; and reporting requirements related to political contributions, fees, and commissions paid in connection with certain sales, . The chapter also explains how the ITAR relate to the regulatory regimes covered in other parts of the book.