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Seasonal Dry Matter Production in Grazed Pasture of Agrostis alba and its Principal Component Analysis
No full textThere are not so many reports about the matter production in the grazed pastures of short grass type. The purposes of this study are to clarify (1) the seasonal change of dry matter production and (2) the factors that affect those in the grazed redtop (Agrostis alba) pasture as short grass type. The grazing experiment was carried out in 1979, 1980 and 1981. Biomass of grasses (part of leaf, stem, standing dead and underground) was measured at the end of each grazing period in the rotation from May to October, and also in March, April and November. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to these data (n=46) concerning on the seasonal variation in dry matter weight. Total biomass was 1200 g/m2 at maximum, and its seasonal change was mainly affected by that of underground. The quantity of standing de 1d was very low through the grazing period, though it was high in spring and in autumn. Annual net production was about 900 g/m2. By PCA, the first principal component (PCl) was the factor on the total living biomass, and the second principal component (PC2) was the factor on the dead biomass. With PCl and 2 by PCA, the seasonal change of dry matter production in the grazed redtop pasture was summarized in five periods. They were (1) from spring to early summer, (2) in the first half period in the rotation, (3) in the latter half period in the rotation, ( 4) in early spring and (5) in late autumn. In the grazed redtop pasture, underground biomass had the important roles on the seasonal change of dry matter production, and also stem biomass affected the seasonal change of aboveground biomass rather than leaf biomass
Protein Production from Tobacco Plants III: Pilot Plant Extraction
No full textThe goals of the present study are: (1) to find a technology for the extraction of valuable proteins from tobacco at a pilot plant level. (2) to optimize such a technology with some modifications of the original idea; Results are shown related: (1) to the distribution of Proteins in the various fractions obtained during the extraction; (2) to the effect of some additives on the final protein yields and characteristics. To allow that the process would be economical qualitatively and quantitatively, the authors suggest an optimization of the extraction yield and a better purification of the final products from contaminants such as nicotine and polyphenols
EVALUATING THE ACCEPTABILITY OF PTSD TREATMENT AMONG JUSTICE-INVOLVED WOMEN IN KENTUCKY WITH HISTORIES OF OPIOID USE
No full textRates of trauma and PTSD as well as histories of opioid use are high among justice-involved women, particularly in Kentucky. However, there are many barriers to receiving treatment. There is a pressing need for brief, trauma-focused interventions that can be more feasibly delivered in jail or prison settings as well as by community clinicians serving women on probation or parole. This study explores the acceptability of treatment for PTSD, particularly Written Exposure Therapy (WET), among justice-involved women on probation or parole with a history of illicit or nonmedical prescription opioid use. The research aims to deepen our understanding of factors influencing the engagement in PTSD treatment from the perspective of 269 Kentucky women with histories of incarceration. Results showed that: 1) rates of trauma and current PTSD symptomatology among the sample were high; 2) engagement in substance use treatment was common while engagement in trauma-related treatment was low; 3) participants perceived there to be an association between their opioid use and both trauma and PTSD symptoms; and 4) participants reported interest in receiving treatment for PTSD and offered preliminary support for WET as a viable treatment option but endorsed both stigma- and non-stigma-related barriers to accessing mental health services. Findings underscore the importance of developing accessible and acceptable PTSD treatments that address the unique mental health needs of justice-involved women with histories of opioid use. Opportunities to address barriers to care while offering effective trauma-related treatments within the system of care for this population are discussed
RCPNEOPERU trial: a cluster randomized pilot trial to assess traditional neonatal resuscitation compared to partially virtual training in remote areas.
No full textOBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of a neonatal resuscitation training program using traditional training and partial distance learning.
METHOD: Through an open cluster-randomized trial, the authors compared a traditional approach involving face-to-face theory and practice sessions using information and communication technology to offer theory and distance examination, followed by face-to-face practice. Twelve health facilities were allocated by blocked randomization. Comparisons were made adjusting for clustering in qualitative and quantitative data. The primary outcome was the percentage of infants with heart rates ≥100 per minute at the second minute after birth. The authors performed a cluster-level analysis for cluster randomized trials, simplifying the adjustment for individual- and cluster-level covariates.
RESULTS: The authors trained 403 health professionals in two arms in twelve facilities. After six months, the authors assessed 2180 birth deliveries, 966 newborns in the traditional training group (TT), and 1214 in the partial distance learning training group (pDL). The authors found no statistical evidence favoring any of the two trial arms (RR = 0.9859, CI 95 % = 0.9446; 1.0292, p = 0.4819).
CONCLUSIONS: The authors found no statistical evidence favoring traditional or distance learning methods for neonatal resuscitation training. Further research could assess improved online platforms to enable sustainable virtual reality instructor/provider interaction for theory, practice and testing, addressed to health cadres of rural and remote areas
Map of the Thickness of Ordovician Shales Across the Kentucky-Tennessee Mineral District (KTMD)
No full textThe deposits of critical minerals have been found in metalliferous shales. To aid in critical mineral assessments of the Ordovician Shales in the Kentucky-Tennessee Mineral District (KTMD), this research project produced a map (digital GIS dataset) of the thickness (isopach) of the combined Upper Ordovician shale interval across the region. The subsurface input data are from oil/gas well records and exploratory mineral core. Well and core records for the KTMD were acquired from the state surveys of Tennessee and Kentucky. Along with the GIS files, a summary table of the 594 well and core data points used to produce this map are included as an appendix in this report.https://uknowledge.uky.edu/kgs_data/1017/thumbnail.jp
Transpiration Intensity of Alfalfa and its Effect in Yield
No full textWe observed that the alfalfa appears diurnal fluctuation of transpiration very clearly by in its flower initial stage. They always appear two transpiration peaks in the morning and afternoon, respectively. In the fruiting stage as well as in flowering stage, the diurnal fluctation of alfalfa was lesser with smaller transpiration retes. Both of the diurnal fluctuations in the two stages are strongly affected by the leaf temperature. In the flower initial stage, from 5:30 to 9:30 a.m., the transpiration rate increases with the increase of leaf temperature. After 9:30, while the transpiration drops down rapidly, till afternoon 16:30 p.m. the transpiration slightly increased. As we know, the transpiration has a lot of important functions in plants growing process. But we failed to find out any direct relations between transpiration and plant yields in our experiments
A Comparison of Commonly Utilized Diagnostic Biopsy Techniques for Pediatric Patients With Cancer: A Systematic Review by the APSA Cancer Committee.
No full textBACKGROUND: Historically, surgical biopsy (SB) for diagnosis of pediatric solid tumors was considered necessary to provide adequate tissue for histologic and molecular analysis. Less invasive biopsy techniques such as image-guided core needle biopsy (CNB), have shown comparable accuracy with decreased morbidity in some adult studies. However, data regarding the safety and efficacy of CNB in pediatric tumors is limited. This study\u27s aim was to assess the overall rate of successful diagnosis and safety of CNB compared to SB in children with malignancies.
METHODS: A PRISMA compliant systematic review was performed in MEDLINE via PubMed, Embase and CINAHL Plus database searches from 2010 to 2023. Studies were included with relevance to the following clinical question: For children with concern for malignancy requiring biopsy for diagnosis, how does CNB compare to open or laparoscopic/thoracoscopic SB in terms of safety and diagnostic efficacy? Data for patients ≤21 years requiring biopsy for diagnosis of liver tumors, neuroblastoma (NB), soft tissue sarcoma (STS), and lymphoma were included.
RESULTS: Twenty-seven studies including 2477 patients met inclusion criteria, with 2065 undergoing CNB and 412 SB. Of the 2477 patients, 820 patients had NB, 307 liver tumors, 96 STS, 151 lymphoma, and 1103 patients were from studies that included multiple diagnoses. The average complication rate for CNB was 2.9% compared to 21.4% for SB (p \u3c 0.001). Bleeding was the most common complication in both groups, but significantly higher after SB (22.1% vs 2.3%) (p \u3c 0.001). CNB was diagnostic in 90.8% of patients compared to 98.8% who underwent SB (p \u3c 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Rates of successful diagnosis were greater than 90% for both CNB and SB, though significantly higher for SB. Conversely, complication rates were close to ten times higher after SB compared to CNB. Given its relatively lower risk profile, CNB can be a safe and useful diagnostic tool for children with solid malignancies. Research focused on enhancing CNB\u27s diagnostic accuracy while maintaining low morbidity should be further explored.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Treatment study, Level III
An Imperfect Solution: Why the Current H-2A Visa Program Cannot Make up for Deported Farm Laborers
No full textWith deportation efforts underway, many criticisms have been raised regarding how President Trump’s executive orders might affect the agriculture industry. It is no secret that a large portion of farm workers in the United States are unauthorized. In 2022, the United States Department of Agriculture put the number of unauthorized crop farmworkers at 42% of the total workforce. The Center for Migration Studies estimates that the number of unauthorized agriculture workers is around 283,000; however, this number is highly variable and is likely much larger due to workers not wanting to self-report their status as unauthorized. The significant portion of these workers come from Mexico and about half are working in California. The wisdom of President Trump’s deportation policy is debatable, but what is certain is that over a quarter of a million people in the United States should not be left in a legal limbo, simultaneously performing critical labor and risking deportation at any moment
Scaling symmetry of the Hodgkin-Huxley mathematical model
No full textA computational method based on the application of a scaling transformation to the Hodgkin-Huxley mathematical model of the biological neuron and its generalizations to the case of various neural systems is proposed. The method makes it possible: 1) to obtain invariants of the scaling transformation of the Hodgkin-Huxley model; 2) to find self-similarity regions corresponding to the modes of neural activity; 3) to determine the conditions for the similarity of models of various types of biological neurons; 4) to reduce the order of the system of differential equations of the Hodgkin-Huxley model for neural systems with synchronous activity. The capabilities of the method are demonstrated using various examples from neurobiology
A unique inflammaging profile generated by T cells from people with obesity is metformin resistant
No full textThe alarmingly high prevalence of obesity in older adults coupled with the negative health effects of chronic inflammation in both obesity and aging highlight the importance of studies investigating the impacts of obesity on age-related inflammation. Since shifts in peripheral T-cell metabolism and function drive systemic inflammation in both obesity and aging, we hypothesize that obesity impacts the Th17-dominated inflammaging profile we identified in lean subjects and thus modifies the anti-inflammatory effects of geroprotective drugs like metformin. New cytokine profiling data showed that CD4+ T cells from older people with obesity generate a profile that specifically excludes Th17 cytokines. Metformin failed to change the age-associated T-cell profile in obesity, despite lowering both mitochondrial respiration and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Metformin did not improve macroautophagy in T cells from older people with obesity, in sharp contrast to the ability of metformin to promote autophagy in T cells from older lean subjects. These data indicate that body mass index modifies the mechanisms supporting inflammaging in T cells from older subjects, and that metformin-mediated restoration of redox balance is insufficient to stem obesity-associated inflammaging. We conclude that obesity fundamentally changes the mechanisms that promote inflammaging, and thus obesity becomes a critical consideration for clinical trials of geroprotective agents such as metformin