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Objectives To evaluate a strategy designed to optimize care and increase uptake of urate-lowering therapy (ULT) during hospitalizations for gout flares. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study to evaluate a strategy that combined optimal in-hospital gout management with a nurse-led, follow-up appointment, followed by handover to primary care. Outcomes, including ULT initiation, urate target attainment and re-hospitalization rates, were compared between patients hospitalized for flares in the 12 months post-implementation and a retrospective cohort of hospitalized patients from 12 months pre-implementation. Results One hundred and nineteen and 108 patients, respectively, were hospitalized for gout flares in the 12 months pre- and post-implementation. For patients with 6-month follow-up data available (n  = 94 and n  = 97, respectively), the proportion newly initiated on ULT increased from 49.2% pre-implementation to 92.3% post-implementation (age/sex-adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 11.5; 95% CI 4.36, 30.5; P  < 0.001). After implementation, more patients achieved a serum urate ≤360 μmol/l within 6 months of discharge (10.6% pre-implementation vs 26.8% post-implementation; aOR 3.04; 95% CI 1.36, 6.78; P  = 0.007). The proportion of patients re-hospitalized for flares was 14.9% pre-implementation vs 9.3% post-implementation (aOR 0.53; 95% CI 0.22, 1.32; P  = 0.18). Conclusion Over 90% of patients were initiated on ULT after implementing a strategy to optimize hospital gout care. Despite increased initiation of ULT during flares, recurrent hospitalizations were not more frequent following implementation. Significant relative improvements in urate target attainment were observed post-implementation; however, for the majority of hospitalized gout patients to achieve urate targets, closer primary–secondary care integration is still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Inflammatory arthritis causes significant work disability. Studies regarding this frequently fail to report important contextual information such as employment type. Our objective was to explore work participation, by gender and occupation type, in early inflammatory arthritis. Methods Data are from the National Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit for 2018–2020. At diagnosis, clinicians collected information on demographics, inflammatory arthritis disease activity, and working status. Participants completed patient-reported outcomes at baseline, 3 months and 12 months, including occupation and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI). Descriptive analyses of work participation and WPAI scores by occupational class at all time points were performed. Regression models were used to examine associations between WPAI score and occupation. Results In all, 12 473 people received a diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis and reported employment status, among whom 5999 (47%) were in paid work for at least 20 hours/week. At diagnosis, the working cohort had statistically significant lower measures of disease activity (P  < 0.001). Occupational data were available for 3694 individuals. At diagnosis, 2793 completed a WPAI; 200 (7.2%) had stopped work and 344 (12.3%) changed jobs because of inflammatory arthritis symptoms. There was a high burden of absenteeism (30%) and presenteeism (40%). Compared with managerial or professional workers, the burden of work disability was greater among those in routine (manual) occupations. During follow-up, 9.4% of WPAI completers stopped work and 14.6% changed roles. Work drop-out occurred almost entirely among people doing routine jobs. Conclusion It is easier to retain work in certain employment sectors. Participation in routine jobs is more affected, which may widen health inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To evaluate trust-level performance in time to initiation of DMARD therapy in patients with early inflammatory arthritis (EIA), with identification of the change in performance trajectories over time and investigation of trust characteristics associated with this change. Methods We included 130 trusts from the UK contributing to the National Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit (NEIAA) from 2018 to 2020. The primary outcome was days from referral to initiation of DMARD therapy in patients with EIA. Latent class growth mixture models were applied to identify distinct groups of trusts with similar trajectories of performance change over time. We used mixed effects linear and multinomial logistic regression models to evaluate the association between delay in treatment and trust-level characteristics. Results The mean time to DMARD initiation was 53 days (s. d. 18), with an average 0.3-day decrease with each month over time. Four latent trajectories were identified in our cohort, with >77% of individual trusts showing ongoing improvements in decreasing treatment waiting times. Prior to separating by latent class, time to DMARD initiation was shorter in trusts with higher rheumatology staffing, a local EIA treatment pathway and those with access to musculoskeletal ultrasound. Trusts with more nurses in the rheumatology department were less likely to be in the worst performance group [odds ratio 0.69 (95% CI 0.49, 0.93)]. Conclusion In this cohort study, we observed a reduction in treatment waiting time over time. Trusts with better staffed and improved EIA clinical structure are likely to initiate definitive treatment earlier in patients with EIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To describe the risks and predictors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalization and mortality among patients with early inflammatory arthritis (EIA), recruited to the National Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit (NEIAA). Methods NEIAA is an observational cohort. We included adults with EIA from Feb 2020 to May 2021. Outcomes of interest were hospitalization and death due to COVID-19, using NHS Digital linkage. Cox proportional hazards were used to calculate hazard ratios for outcomes according to initial treatment strategy, with adjustment for confounders. Results From 14 127 patients with EIA, there were 143 hospitalizations and 47 deaths due to COVID-19, with incidence rates per 100 person-years of 0.93 (95% CI 0.79, 1.10) for hospitalization and 0.30 (95% CI 0.23, 0.40) for death. Increasing age, male gender, comorbidities and ex-smoking were associated with increased risk of worse COVID-19 outcomes. Higher baseline DAS28 was not associated with COVID-19 admissions [confounder adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.10; 95% CI 0.97, 1.24] or mortality (aHR 1.11; 95% CI 0.90, 1.37). Seropositivity was not associated with either outcome. Higher symptom burden on patient-reported measures predicted worse COVID-19 outcomes. In unadjusted models, CS associated with COVID-19 death (HR 2.29; 95% CI 1.02, 5.13), and SSZ monotherapy associated with COVID-19 admission (HR 1.92; 95% CI 1.04, 3.56). In adjusted models, associations for CS and SSZ were not statistically significant. Conclusion Patient characteristics have stronger associations with COVID-19 than the initial treatment strategy in patients with EIA. An important limitation is that we have not looked at treatment changes over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate associations between treat-to-target urate-lowering therapy (ULT) and hospitalizations for gout. Methods Using linked Clinical Practice Research Datalink and NHS Digital Hospital Episode Statistics data, we described the incidence and timing of hospitalizations for flares in people with index gout diagnoses in England from 2004–2020. Using Cox proportional hazards and propensity models, we investigated associations between ULT initiation, serum urate target attainment, colchicine prophylaxis, and the risk of hospitalizations for gout. Results Of 292 270 people with incident gout, 7719 (2.64%) had one or more hospitalizations for gout, with an incidence rate of 4.64 hospitalizations per 1000 person-years (95% CI 4.54, 4.73). There was an associated increased risk of hospitalizations within the first 6 months after ULT initiation, when compared with people who did not initiate ULT [adjusted Hazard Ratio (aHR) 4.54; 95% CI 3.70, 5.58; P  < 0.001]. Hospitalizations did not differ significantly between people prescribed vs not prescribed colchicine prophylaxis in fully adjusted models. From 12 months after initiation, ULT associated with a reduced risk of hospitalizations (aHR 0.77; 95% CI 0.71, 0.83; P  < 0.001). In ULT initiators, attainment of a serum urate <360 micromol/l within 12 months of initiation associated with a reduced risk of hospitalizations (aHR 0.57; 95% CI 0.49, 0.67; P  < 0.001) when compared with people initiating ULT but not attaining this target. Conclusion ULT associates with an increased risk of hospitalizations within the first 6 months of initiation but reduces hospitalizations in the long term, particularly when serum urate targets are achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents guidelines on prescribing immunomodulatory anti-rheumatic drugs and corticosteroids to pregnant and breastfeeding women from the British Society for Rheumatology. The objective is to update the previous guidelines and highlight medications that have to be stopped and avoided in the reproductive age group. It excludes the management of infertility or the indications for the drugs in rheumatic diseases in pregnancy.

The article presents guidelines on prescribing immunomodulatory anti-rheumatic drugs and corticosteroids to pregnant and breastfeeding women from the British Society for Rheumatology. Uncertainty over the use of the drugs in pregnancy and breastfeeding has led to the expansion of existing and novel disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. The guideline excludes the management of infertility or indications in specific rheumatic diseases in pregnancy.

The article presents guidelines on prescribing comorbidity medications used in rheumatology practice to pregnant and breastfeeding women from the British Society for Rheumatology. The objective is to update previous guidelines on prescribing for drug categories like pain management, anticoagulants and anti-hypertensives. It excludes the management of infertility or acute pain relief during labour.

The article presents guidelines on prescribing comorbidity medications used in rheumatology practice to pregnant and breastfeeding women from the British Society for Rheumatology. The objective is to update previous guidelines on prescribing for drug categories like pain management, anticoagulants and pulmonary vasodilators. It excludes the management of infertility or acute pain relief during labour.

Objective To assess variability in care quality and treatment outcomes across ethnicities in early inflammatory arthritis (EIA). Methods We conducted an observational cohort study in England and Wales from May 2018 to March 2020, including patients with a suspected/confirmed EIA diagnosis. Care quality was assessed against six metrics defined by national guidelines. Clinical outcomes were measured using DAS28. Outcomes between ethnic groups ('White', 'Black', 'Asian', 'Mixed', 'Other') were compared, and adjusted for confounders. Results A total of 35 807 eligible patients were analysed. Of those, 30 643 (85.6%) were White and 5164 (14.6%) were from ethnic minorities: 1035 (2.8%) Black; 2617 (7.3%) Asian; 238 (0.6%) Mixed; 1274 (3.5%) Other. In total, 12 955 patients had confirmed EIA, of whom 11 315 were White and 1640 were from ethnic minorities: 314 (2.4%) Black; 927 (7.1%) Asian; 70 (0.5%) Mixed; 329 (2.5%) Other. A total of 14 803 patients were assessed by rheumatology within three weeks, and 5642 started treatment within six weeks of referral. There were no significant differences by ethnicity. Ethnic minority patients had lower odds of disease remission at three months [adjusted odds ratio 0.79 (95% CI: 0.65, 0.96)] relative to White patients. Ethnic minorities were significantly less likely to receive initial treatment withMTX[0.68 (0.52, 0.90)] or with glucocorticoids [0.63 (0.49, 0.80)]. Conclusion We demonstrate that some ethnic minorities are less likely to achieve disease remission in three months following EIA diagnosis. This is not explained by delays in referral or time to treatment. Our data highlight the need for investigation into the possible drivers of these inequitable outcomes and reappraisal of EIA management pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Updated guidelines for patients with axial SpA (axSpA) have sought to reduce diagnostic delay by raising awareness among clinicians. We used the National Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit (NEIAA) to describe baseline characteristics and time to diagnosis for newly referred patients with axSpA in England and Wales. Methods Analyses were performed on sociodemographic and clinical metrics, including time to referral and assessment, for axSpA patients (n  = 784) recruited to the NEIAA between May 2018 and March 2020. Comparators were patients recruited to the NEIAA with RA (n  = 9270) or mechanical back pain (MBP; n  = 370) in the same period. Results Symptom duration prior to initial rheumatology assessment was longer in axSpA than RA patients (P  < 0.001) and non-significantly longer in axSpA than MBP patients (P  = 0.062): 79.7% of axSpA patients had symptom durations of >6 months, compared with 33.7% of RA patients and 76.0% of MBP patients. Following referral, the median time to initial rheumatology assessment was longer for axSpA than RA patients (36 vs 24 days; P  < 0.001) and similar to MBP patients (39 days; P  = 0.30). Of the subset of patients deemed eligible for early inflammatory arthritis pathway follow-up, fewer axSpA than RA patients had disease education provided (77.5% vs 97.8%) and RA patients reported a better understanding of their condition and treatment. Conclusion Diagnostic delay in axSpA remains a major challenge despite improved disease understanding and updated referral guidelines. Disease education is provided to fewer axSpA than RA patients, highlighting the need for specialist clinics and support programmes for axSpA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Hospital admissions for gout flares have increased dramatically in recent years, despite widely available, effective medications for the treatment and prevention of flares. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of interventions in patients hospitalized for gout flares. Methods A search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane library, from database inception to 8 April 2021, using the terms 'gout' and 'hospital' and their synonyms. Studies were included if they evaluated the effectiveness and/or implementation of interventions during hospital admissions or emergency department attendances for gout flares. Risk of bias assessments were performed for included studies. Results Nineteen articles were included. Most studies were small, retrospective analyses performed in single centres, with concerns for bias. Eleven studies (including five randomized controlled trials) reported improved patient outcomes following pharmacological interventions with known efficacy in gout, including allopurinol, prednisolone, NSAIDs and anakinra. Eight studies reported improved outcomes associated with non-pharmacological interventions: inpatient rheumatology consultation and a hospital gout management protocol. No studies to date have prospectively evaluated strategies designed to prevent re-admissions of patients hospitalized for gout flares. Conclusion There is an urgent need for high-quality, prospective studies of strategies for improving uptake of urate-lowering therapies in hospitalized patients, incorporating prophylaxis against flares and treat-to-target optimization of serum urate levels. Such studies are essential if the epidemic of hospital admissions from this treatable condition is to be countered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To evaluate the safety of treatment strategies in patients with early RA. Methods Systematic searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE and PubMed were conducted up to September 2020. Double-blind randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of licensed treatments conducted on completely naïve or MTX-naïve RA patients were included. Long-term extension studies, post-hoc and pooled analyses and RCTs with no comparator arm were excluded. Serious adverse events, serious infections and non-serious adverse events were extracted from all RCTs, and event rates in intervention and comparator arms were compared using meta-analysis and network meta-analysis (NMA). Results From an initial search of 3423 studies, 20 were included, involving 9202 patients. From the meta-analysis, the pooled incidence rates per 1000 patient-years for serious adverse events were 69.8 (95% CI: 64.9, 74.8), serious infections 18.9 (95% CI: 16.2, 21.6) and non-serious adverse events 1048.2 (95% CI: 1027.5, 1068.9). NMA showed that serious adverse event rates were higher with biologic monotherapy than with MTX monotherapy, rate ratio 1.39 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.73). Biologic monotherapy rates were higher than those for MTX and steroid therapy, rate ratio 3.22 (95% CI: 1.47, 7.07). Biologic monotherapy had a higher adverse event rate than biologic combination therapy, rate ratio 1.26 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.54). NMA showed no significant difference between strategies with respect to serious infections and non-serious adverse events rates. Conclusion The study revealed the different risk profiles for various early RA treatment strategies. Observed differences were overall small, and in contrast to the findings of established RA studies, steroid-based regimens did not emerge as more harmful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the case of a 56-year-old male with disease distribution including cutaneous, pulmonary, bone and ocular lesions. Topics discussed include confirmation of diagnosis of Camurati-Engelmann disease with histological evidence of granulomatous inflammation on lymph node biopsy, basis of the original diagnosis of sarcoid bone involvement, and the discovery of an alternative cause for his skeletal lesions and pain.

The presynaptic, high-affinity choline transporter is a critical determinant of signalling by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at both central and peripheral cholinergic synapses, including the neuromuscular junction. Here we describe an autosomal recessive presynaptic congenital myasthenic syndrome presenting with a broad clinical phenotype due to homozygous choline transporter missense mutations. The clinical phenotype ranges from the classical presentation of a congenital myasthenic syndrome in one patient (p.Pro210Leu), to severe neurodevelopmental delay with brain atrophy (p.Ser94Arg) and extend the clinical outcomes to a more severe spectrum with infantile lethality (p.Val112Glu). Cells transfected with mutant transporter construct revealed a virtually complete loss of transport activity that was paralleled by a reduction in transporter cell surface expression. Consistent with these findings, studies to determine the impact of gene mutations on the trafficking of the Caenorhabditis elegans choline transporter orthologue revealed deficits in transporter export to axons and nerve terminals. These findings contrast with our previous findings in autosomal dominant distal hereditary motor neuropathy of a dominant-negative frameshift mutation at the C-terminus of choline transporter that was associated with significantly reduced, but not completely abrogated choline transporter function. Together our findings define divergent neuropathological outcomes arising from different classes of choline transporter mutation with distinct disease processes and modes of inheritance. These findings underscore the essential role played by the choline transporter in sustaining acetylcholine neurotransmission at both central and neuromuscular synapses, with important implications for treatment and drug selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study "Colchicine in Patients with Chronic Coronary Disease," by S.M. Nidorf, A.T.L. Fiole, A. Mosterd, et al., which was published in the "New England Journal of Medicine." Topics include the association between gout and cardiovascular disease, the anti-inflammatory properties of colchicine including the inhibition of neutrophil recruitment, and its side effects including gastrointestinal symptoms.

The effects on pancreatic β-cell viability and function of three microbial secondary metabolites pyrrolnitrin, phenazine and patulin were investigated, using the rat clonal pancreatic β-cell line, INS-1. Cells were exposed to 10-fold serial dilutions (range 0-10 μg mL−1) of the purified compounds for 2, 24 and 72 h. After 2 h exposure, only patulin (10 μg mL−1) was cytotoxic. All compounds showed significant cytotoxicity after 24 h. None of the compounds altered insulin secretion with 2 and 20 mM glucose after 2 h. However, after 24 h treatment, phenazine and pyrrolnitrin (10 and 100 ng mL−1) potentiated insulin production and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, whereas patulin had no effect. Exposure (24 h) to either phenazine (100 ng mL−1) or pyrrolnitrin (10 ng mL−1) caused similar increases in the Ca2+ content of INS-1 cells. The outward membrane current was inhibited after 24 h exposure to either phenazine (100 ng mL−1) or pyrrolnitrin (10 or 100 ng mL−1). This study presents novel data suggesting that high concentrations of pyrrolnitrin and phenazine are cytotoxic to pancreatic β-cells and thus possibly diabetogenic, whereas at lower concentrations these agents are nontoxic and may be insulinotropic. The possible role of such agents in the development of cystic fibrosis-related diabetes is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Diagnostic delay is common for patients with axial spondyloarthritis: Results from the National Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit," by Mark D. Russell, Fiona Coath and Mark Yates, published in the 2021 issue of "Rheumatology," is presented.

This article examines an unpublished play written by Aby Warburg (1866–1929), entitled Hamburg Conversations on Art: Hamburg Comedy, 1896. The play offers a glimpse into Warburg's views on modern art and into his thinking on the various processes of modernization. It demonstrates how his enthusiasm for innovative art forms emerged, in part, as an expression of his rebellion against the religious, social and professional conventions of the German–Jewish economic élite into which he was born. As with many of his generation, Warburg claimed social and cultural progress under the banner of artistic innovation. The play also provides a focus for a discussion of the ways in which Warburg's interest in modern art was closely allied with pioneering research into the role of symbolism and art in European history. To this end, the article explores Warburg's concern about the prospect of a culture in which symbolic and mythical thinking was replaced by a technology that destroyed humanity's contemplative bond with the world. It also demonstrates that Warburg's perspective on social and cultural modernization combined seemingly different attitudes: it blended the future-orientated optimism of an urban, liberal and cosmopolitan outlook with the nostalgic pessimism of an ardent patriot whose life was shaped by traditional values and who was uneasy about the increasingly rationalized and materialistic society in which he lived. In conclusion, the article suggests that this attitude was not uncommon among the Bürgertum and points to the difficulties of conceiving of 'tradition' and 'modernity' in Imperial Germany in terms of mutual exclusivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summer is a busy time for Extension programs and includes several activities, such as 4-H youth programs and producer meetings. Three years ago, the Arkansas Extension Animal Science Department started offering an internship opportunity for students. The internship occurs for 12 weeks with salary compensation and housing (if needed). Monies for the internship are provided by both the department and Extension ANR Associate Director. Applications are accepted in the spring (resume, cover letter, and 3 references), interviews are held for the top 3–5 applicants, and then an intern is selected. Year 1 and 2 yielded 11 applicants each year and year 3 generated 22. Interns spend the summer assisting faculty with youth programs, adult programs, and research projects. They are not assigned to one particular faculty member, but have the opportunity to gain experiences from all faculty members.Mid-way through the internship and at the end of the internship, an evaluation is sent to both the intern and faculty members to assess the mid- and overall performance of the intern. Some notable results from the intern evaluations include: 75% had moderate or large improvement in written and oral communication skills and 100% had a large improvement in general knowledge of Extension. All interns indicated that tasks assigned were challenging, but attainable; they believe the internship was excellent and would definitely recommend to others; they are more interested to work for Extension as a result of the internship; and believe the internship is a very valuable educational experience. From the faculty perspective, having an intern is very valuable. An intern allows for more things to get done in a timely manner. Suggestions for improvement are for more interns to be hired. Internships are a great way to expose students to Extension and what the Animal Science Department offers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In November 2017, leaders from each segment of the Arkansas beef industry were invited to participate in a nominal group technique to identify current strengths, weaknesses, and future opportunities of the industry. Results from the nominal group technique were used to develop surveys specifically for beef cattle segments. A total of 325 responses were received. One objective of the study was to evaluate educational preferences including methods for receiving information and group meeting participation. Participants identified with one of 5 age categories including < 31 yrs, 31 to 40 yrs, 41 to 50 yrs, 51 to 60 yrs, and > 60 yrs of age. Participants were also asked to rate methods for receiving information, based on preference where 1 = not preferred and 5 = highly preferred. A correlation between age and preferred method of receiving information could guide future efforts in educational information development. There was a negative correlation between age and social media as the preferred method for receiving information (r = -0.32, P = <.001). No other significant differences were detected between preferred method of receiving information and age. In an effort to be efficient with the educational materials that are produced, and reach as many clientele as possible using the preferred methods of receiving information, Extension specialists can focus on correlations between preferred methods of receiving information. Producers who prefer printed publications as a method of receiving information, also highly prefer display/poster, group meeting/workshop, experiment station field days, and on-farm field demonstrations. Participants whose preferred method of receiving information was a mobile device, also highly preferred social media, online web-based information, distance education, and trade magazines. Extension personnel could concentrate efforts in developing information using the methods listed above to reach larger groups of target clientele, by using highly preferred methods of receiving information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author examines the outlook for biologics in managing inflammatory conditions in the midst of financial pressures on the healthcare system. Topics discussed include increased spending on biologics as the number of targeted therapies approved for inflammatory diseases continue to increase and its implications to the financial pressure on the health care system. Also mentioned is the cost effectiveness of biologics despite its high cost.

Previous research has shown that motivated youth typically select activities that incorporate existing interests and may influence their career choices. Involvement in the National FFA provides opportunities for youth to develop skills and knowledge through events known as Career Development Events (CDEs). These events are designed to motivate students and encourage leadership and career development. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of participation in CDEs on student motivation and preparation to major in animal science. The study was guided by a researcher-developed instrument, measuring motivation and preparation on a Likert-type scale of 1–5. The sample population was junior (13%) and senior (87%) animal science majors at a southern Hispanic serving institution, enrolled within an advanced animal nutrition course. The instrument had a Cronbach's alpha posttest reliability of.883, with inter-reliability of.610 for preparation and.887 for motivation. The sample population consisted of 24 students, of which 50% identified as Hispanic and 31% as Caucasian. Out of the 24, 16 had participated in CDEs, resulting in a response rate of 67%.The overall mean scores for motivation were 3.85 (SD= 1.20) and 3.79 (SD = 0.72) for preparation (Scale of 1–5). The highest mean scores were found within the motivation statements, "Competing in CDEs influenced my decision to major in animal science" (M = 4.0) and "Competing in CDEs motivated me to attend college" (M = 3.94). The highest scores for preparation were found within the statement "Competing in CDEs prepared me to be successful in my chosen career" (M = 4.13). Females were found to have higher mean scores overall, with students identifying as Caucasian having a higher mean score over Hispanic students and Seniors scoring slightly higher. Overall the scores were moderate and showed a need for continued study in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought producer insight into strengths, limitations, opportunities, and threats to Arkansas' beef cattle industry. The study included small commercial cow-calf (SC, <50 cows), large commercial cow-calf (LC), purebred (PB), and stocker (ST) operators. The study was completed in 2 phases. Phase 1 involved a listening session. Phase 2 involved a statewide survey based on comments from the listening session. A sample of 100 individuals from each industry group was selected randomly from a larger list of contacts. Participants only completed surveys that aligned with their production system. Participants ranked each comment on a 5-point Likert scale. Response rate was 47%. Response mean and standard deviation was calculated for each comment. The mean and median comment rank were 3.99 and 4, respectively. There was strong negative correlation (-0.72, P < 0.001) among comments mean rank and deviation. The overall 75th percentile (4.26) was used to identify greatest items of importance. Greatest current strengths included benefiting from off-farm income, benefits, and insurance (SC); being able to invest in quality bulls (LC); investing in genetic improvement (PB); and adding value to Arkansas' cattle industry (ST). Greatest limitations included equipment (SC) and land costs (SC and PB), buyer education (PB), cattle health (ST), and state reputation (ST). Highly important future opportunities include economical feed (SC), beef demand (LC, ST), stewardship (LC), genetic improvement (LC, PB), consumer education (PB), disease management (ST), better marketing systems (ST), and value added programs (ST). Greatest foreseen threats included beef demand (SC), government regulations (SC, LC, PB), market volatility (PB), youth interest and aging farmer (PB), loss of antibiotics (ST), disease resistance (ST), escalating costs (ST), and feed shortage (ST). Listening sessions and surveys provide insight into producer thoughts and concerns and provide a foundation for Extension programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-phase study was conducted with educators to better understand the current state of the Arkansas beef industry. Educators are defined as individuals who directly work to educate both adults and youth. Ten educators participated in Phase 1 of the study. Nominal group research methods were utilized to identify current strengths, limitations, future opportunities, and future threats to the Arkansas beef industry. The items identified were then compiled for Phase 2 of the study. An online survey was emailed to 100 educators who were randomly selected from a larger list. Survey respondents were asked to rank the importance of items on a Likert-type scale where 1=not important and 5=highly important. Sixty-two surveys were completed of which 40% were adult educators, 34% were K-12 youth educators, 16% were youth educators, and 10% were post-secondary educators. When asked about the current strengths of educational support, participants indicated Educators stay current with knowledge (M = 4.58, SD = 0.64) as the top strength and State funding (M = 3.76, SD = 1.08) as the bottom strength. State, federal, and private investment funding for education, infrastructure, and technology (M = 4.44, SD = 0.73) was ranked with high importance when asked about current limitations whereas Education curriculum in classroom is outdated (M = 3.58, SD = 1.01) was ranked as somewhat important. The top future opportunity was Educating legislators about beef industry (M = 4.72, SD = 0.54) but Get beef cattle producers to increase check-off contribution by one cent (M = 3.26, SD = 1.10) was at the bottom. Lastly, educators ranked Entry costs to the industry (M = 4.51, SD = 0.71) as the most important future threat while Failure to lead or chase issues (M = 3.90, SD = 0.87) as the least important future threat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]