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Palliative care is standard of care for all patients with serious illness, including culturally diverse patients who often experience racial and ethnic health disparities. Healthcare disparities lead to patients receiving care at more advanced stages of illnesses, getting more fragmented care, and often resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. This chapter focuses on cultural diversity in regard to patient values, access to care, and receipt of care, and it discusses next steps in how to mitigate cultural differences to provide equitable care to all patients. Though cultural diversity can be defined in many ways and is often self-determined, this chapter focuses on health inequalities within the United States and for Black and Hispanic minority patients, and it touches on health disparities among Asian minority patients.

The polar regions of Mars contain layered ice deposits that are rich in detail of past periods of accumulation and erosion. These north and south polar layered deposits (NPLD and SPLD, respectively) contain primarily water–ice and ~5% and ~10% dust derived from the atmosphere, respectively. In addition, the SPLD has two known CO2 deposits—one thin unit at the surface and one buried, much thicker unit. Together, they comprise less than 1% of the SPLD volume. Mars also experiences seasonal deposits of CO2 that form in winter and sublimate in spring and early summer. These seasonal caps are visible from Earth and have been studied for centuries. Zooming in, exposed layers at the PLDs reveal histories of climate change that resulted when orbital parameters such as obliquity, eccentricity, and argument of perihelion changed over tens of thousands to millions of years. Simpler environmental conditions at the NPLD, especially related to seasonal and aeolian processes, make interpreting the history of that polar cap much easier than the SPLD. The history of Mars polar science is linked by numerous incremental advancements and unexpected discoveries related to the observed geology of both poles, the interpreted and modeled climatic conditions that gave rise to the PLDs, and the atmospheric conditions that modify the surface.

Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torr.) is considered an invasive browse species in most of the American Southwest. Over the past several decades, mesquite has spread rapidly in Texas, leading to destruction of native grasslands. In addition to trying to manage its encroachment on grazinglands, producers have been known to use mesquite wood in times of drought as a feed source for livestock, specifically in cow/calf production. This also represents a potential sustainable solution to dealing with debris from brush control measures. Thus, our objective was to evaluate the inclusion of chipped mesquite wood as a partial grass replacement in silage production. This experiment used a factorial treatment structure of silage inoculant (yes, no), grass replacement (0, 25, 50, 75, 100%), and length of incubation (28, 56, 82 d). Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. cv. Coastal] was used as the grass base in the silage mixtures. Samples were incubated in a convection incubator at 29.4°C for their respective incubation lengths. Following incubation, each sample was assayed for NDF, ADF, ADL, CP, and IVTD, as well as a silage acid profile. There was no effect of inoculation, grass replacement, or incubation time (P ≥ 0.13) on CP (μ = 10%), nor was there an effect of inoculation or grass replacement (P ≥ 0.67) on NDF (μ = 70%). Both ADF and ADL increased (P < 0.05) with increasing inclusion of mesquite wood. In vitro true digestibility decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing inclusion of mesquite wood (50% from grass silage; 40% from mesquite silage). Results are interpreted to mean that mesquite wood may be used as a grass replacement in silage production at low inclusion levels.

Dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) is commonly used as supplemental feed in cattle rations. However, the systemic effects of overfeeding DDGS, especially to potential fertilizer benefits of pass-through nitrogen, are widely unknown. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate plant and soil response to fertilization with manure from steers supplemented with titrated levels of DDGS. Manure utilized was collected from steers supplemented with DDGS (0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1% BW) during a 2-yr experiment. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with an augmented factorial treatment structure wherein benches represented blocks. The factorial was made up of manure treatment (0, 0.25, 0.5, or 1% BW DDGS, chemical fertilizer, or none) soil type (Windthorst or Purves), and plant species (none, crimson clover, or rye). Pots were sown (5 seeds/pot) and grown in a greenhouse for 35 d. Water was applied daily at 90% evapotranspiration. After harvest, soils were sifted, dried for 72 h at 55°C, then assayed for C, N, NO3-N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, and S. There was an interaction of manure and soil type for soil C (P < 0.01). Purves soils amended with any manure had a greater (P < 0.05) concentration of C (1.8%) than did the negative control (1.3%). From Windthorst, soil C was greatest from 1% BW DDGS manure (1.9%), and least from 0% DDGS manure (1.5%), with 0.25 and 0.5% manures and the negative control intermediate. There was an interaction of manure, soil type, and forage for soil N (P < 0.01). Manures with higher levels of supplementation had greater (P < 0.05) soil N than lower levels of supplementation or the negative control. Legumes had greater soil N than grasses. Results are interpreted to mean that moderate supplementation of steers with DDGS may yield soil nutrient benefits through nutrient deposition.

Spermatozoon motility is an important factor in successful artificial reproductive technologies. Successful reproduction requires properly developed spermatozoa with adequate forward, progressive motility that allows for transport through the female reproductive tract. Motility is driven by production of ATP; however, cryopreservation is known to have damaging effects on spermatozoa. Mitochondria utilize oxidative phosphorylation to synthesize ATP through an electrochemical proton motive force that is composed primarily of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm). The mitochondrial membrane potential can be measured using a fluorescent, carbocyanine JC-1 dye (5,5’,6,6’-tetrachloro-1,1’,3,3’-tetraethylbenzimi-dazolylcarbocyanine iodide). The objective of this study was to examine correlations between the mitochondrial membrane potential and motility score. Cryopreserved semen samples from three bulls were donated to Tarleton State University for research purposes. Samples were thawed, placed under a phase contrast microscope, and analyzed by three individuals with varying levels of training for rough motility. These samples were then prepared with JC-1 dye according to manufacturer’s instructions. Two microliters of dye were added to a stock preparation of each sample. Samples were examined on a FACS Calibur flow cytometer at University of Texas Southwestern Core in Dallas, TX. Flow cytometry analysis was performed using FlowJo V10.7. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS v9.4. The Pearson correlation coefficient showed a strong, positive correlation (r = 0.90) between the mitochondrial membrane potential and motility (P = 0.28), thus indicating as the mitochondrial membrane potential increases, so does the rough motility score. These data represent a subset of a population that demonstrates the need of further research on the ability for spermatozoa to produce ATP and the correlation in forward, progressive motility. This research can provide a foundation in which future researchers may develop an assay that allows for testing of mitochondrial membrane potential by producers to select bulls with greater breeding potential.

As the future of agricultural sciences, it is imperative that student scientists seek to investigate alternatives to help improve production by lowering costs while meeting dietary requirements, increasing output, and maintaining sustainability. Anthropogenic waste as potential feedstock, we are engaging in an innovative wave of agricultural research. While previous research in our laboratory has evaluated newspaper, waste popcorn, and crawfish shells as feedstock, their potential for ensiling represents an alternative avenue for upcycling and long-term storage. The objective of this experiment was to determine the optimum concentrations of newspaper, waste popcorn, and crawfish shells for ideal silage fermentation. This experiment was conducted as a Box-Wilson composite design with four replications. Prescribed amounts of shredded newspaper, ground crawfish shells and heads, and waster popcorn were thoroughly mixed, and water and inoculant were added to achieve 25% dry matter. Central points for popcorn were 35.5, 1.3, 35.5, and 1.3% dry matter, respectively, for grain silage, grass silage, high combination, and low combination. Central points for crawfish were 4.0, 6.4, 4.0, and 6.4% dry matter, respectively, for grain silage, grass silage, high combination, and low combination. Samples were sealed using a food-grade sealer and allowed to ferment for 35 d. A subsample was frozen for assay of pH and silage acids. The remaining sample was dried at 55°C, ground, and assayed for NDF, ADF, CP, and IVTD. Across block, there was no effect of crawfish or popcorn inclusion on NDF (P ≥ 0.09; μ = 74%), ADF (P ≥ 0.24; μ = 60%), or IVTD (P ≥ 0.12; μ = 35%). Results are interpreted to mean that these feed ingredients may be used in non-feedstock silage production, but its usefulness to livestock production is questionable.

Aims The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of heterozygous truncating ALPK3 variants (ALPK3tv) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and confirm their pathogenicity using burden testing in independent cohorts and family co-segregation studies. Methods and results In a discovery cohort of 770 index patients with HCM, 12 (1.56%) were heterozygous for ALPK3tv [odds ratio(OR) 16.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 7.94–30.02, P = 8.05e−11] compared to the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD) population. In a validation cohort of 2047 HCM probands, 32 (1.56%) carried heterozygous ALPK3tv (OR 16.17, 95% CI 10.31–24.87, P, Graphical Abstract Truncating variants in ALPK3 are a cause of 1–2% of autosomal dominant hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and are associated with a phenotype characterized by extensive fibrosis and a predominantly concentric or apical pattern of left ventricular hypertrophy without left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. (A) Main phenotype characteristics and outcomes. ALPK3tv, alpha-protein kinase 3-truncating variants; CK, creatine kinase; HCM, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; ICD, implantable cardioverter–defibrillator; LVH, left ventricular hypertrophy; LVSD, left ventricular systolic dysfunction; SCD, sudden cardiac death. (B) Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showing the prevalent phenotype of severe mid to apical hypertrophy and extensive late gadolinium enhancement in three patients. Left to right: 4-chamber view end-diastole cine image, 4-chamber view late gadolinium enhancement image, short axis late gadolinium enhancement image. (C) Kaplan–Meier analysis comparing incidence of an outcome of heart failure death and transplant between ALP3tv patients, sarcomere positive and sarcomere negative. SARC+: sarcomere positive; SARC−: sarcomere negative.

OBJECTIVES: Visual cognitive performance (VCP) is an important factor in high-speed interactions with the environment such as sports or driving, however, the testing, training and determination of factors that influence this ability are scarce. The purpose of the Nutrition, Vision and Cognition in Sport Studies (IONSport) is to determine the nutritional factors that explain large variance in VCP and training responses. The objective of this study is to determine if daily beef or vegetable protein consumption affect VCP training responses. METHODS: Thirty-seven women (age 18–35 years) were randomized to either one serving of beef (90% lean ground sirloin, 3 oz) or one serving of vegetable protein (Morningstar prime veggie burgers, 3 oz) per day for 30 days. These foods were equivalent in serving size, calories, protein and fat but distinct in micronutrients. At the end of the dietary intervention, they performed 15 visual cognitive training sessions (Neurotracker) in 10 visits to the laboratory. On the days of training, all food intake was documented for 18 days (Three prior to starting, five from day zero to 15 and 10 from day 15–30). Mean nutritional intakes were calculated for the 15 days of food records during the intervention. RESULTS: Both groups significantly (P

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of the nutrients in eggs, specifically in the yolk, on the visual cognitive performance (VCP) in generally healthy older individuals. METHODS: Ninety-nine generally healthy men (36) and women (63) aged 50 to 75 years were assigned randomly to one of five dietary treatment groups: four egg whites; two whole regular eggs; two whole omega-3-fortified eggs; four egg yolks; and a no-egg control. Subjects were asked to maintain their usual dietary intake including the treatment modifications daily for 30 d. VCP was measured using the NeuroTracker™ CORE (NT) 3-Dimensional (3-D) software program (15 training sessions) during the final 2 wk of the study. Extensive secondary information including body composition, cardiovascular measures, sleep and exercise patterns, and general readiness to perform were also collected. Participants recorded food intake during the first 2 wk of treatment and each day they trained on the NT. Food logs were analyzed using Nutribase software. Statistical analyses were performed in SPSS using repeated measures ANOVA including significant covariates when appropriate. RESULTS: The dietary intervention was successful at creating distinct dietary intake differences for choline, lutein, omega-3 fatty acids and cholesterol (P 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Dietary and cognitive interventions were successful at altering dietary intake and improving cognitive performance respectively but no egg consumption pattern was superior in improving cognitive response. FUNDING SOURCES: Egg Nutrition Center

To find the origins of African pastoralism it is important archaeologists look for the wild progenitors of animals. The wild sheep of Africa (Ammotragus lervia) were never domesticated, so all domestic sheep and goats came from the Near East. There has been some debate over whether there was an independent domestication of African cattle, because wild cattle (Bos primigenius) remains have been found in the Nile Valley. Genetic evidence shows that the source of African domesticated cattle was the Levant, some 8,000 years ago. Cattle spread across the Sahara as the environment was conducive to pastoralism, being well watered at this time. This lasted until after 5000 bp when the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) retreated and the Sahara dried up to its present condition. The tsetse barrier also retreated at this time, allowing pastoralists to move south into West Africa and, via the Ethiopian highlands, to East Africa, arriving c.4500 bp, although it took another 1,000 years for them to fully adapt to the grasslands of southern Kenya and Tanzania. Domestic stock then went on to southern Africa via a tsetse-free corridor, arriving around 2000 bp. The effect of herding societies on local hunters throughout Africa appears to have been an initial rapprochement, with a later hardening of relations. In East Africa, this was probably due to the need to learn about the new environment with the help of local hunters and to adjust to new epizootic diseases. In southern Africa, the first pastoralists were primarily sheep herders during the 1st millennium bce, with few cattle bones being found from this time. Pastoralists only became fully fledged cattle herdsmen around 1000 bp when they developed the attributes of the historic Khoekhoen. A further debate existed in southern Africa over whether pastoralism there was the result of immigrant herders who arrived in the northern Kalahari and then spread to the Cape, or if local hunters took up sheep herding.

Medium chain fatty acid (MCFA) treatment of aerobically exposed silage during feed-out is a potential strategy to prevent growth of spoilage and pathogenic microbes. To evaluate the effects of feeding MCFA-treated silage on the rumen fermentability, we incubated 0.02 g of overnight air-exposed corn silage that had been treated individually without or with (0.75% wt/wt) C6, C8, C10 or C12 or with equal proportion mixtures of C6:C8:C10:C12 or C8:C10 with 10 mL freshly collected ruminal fluid. Additions were made while flushing with CO2 and tubes (3 tubes/treatment) were then capped and sealed. After 24 h incubation at 39oC, headspace gases and fluid volatile fatty acids were measure using gas chromatography techniques. Results from a completely randomized analysis of variance revealed higher hydrogen accumulations (P < 0.05) only in incubations containing silage treated with the C8:C10 MCFA mixture when compared to controls, with mean ± SD concentrations (µmol/mL incubation fluid) being 2.19 ± 1.6 versus 0.08 ± 0.04, respectively. Treatment effects were not observed (P > 0.05) on accumulations (µmol/mL) of methane (13.25 ± 2.5), acetate (19.66 ± 5.6), propionate (7.27 ± 2.0), butyrate (12.36 ± 2.7) or stochiometric estimates of amounts of hexose fermented (41.39 ± 9.7), although the acetate:propionate ratios of incubations of silage treated with C8 or the C8:C10 mixture were higher (P < 0.05) than those of untreated controls (3.46 ± 0.7, 3.46 ± 0.5 and 2.35 ± 0.1, respectively). Consequently, correspondingly estimates of fermentation efficiency, calculated based caloric energy values of amounts of acetate, propionate and butyrate relative to glucose, were slightly lower (P < 0.05) for the incubations of silage treated with C8 and the C8:C10 mix compared to controls (74.36 ± 1.1, 74.82 ± 0.2 and 76.55 ± 0.3 %, respectively). Results reveal little negative effect of MCFA treatment on ruminal fermentability of silage.

Pregnancy detection in cattle can be expensive and labor intensive to producers. A simple, cost-efficient method of determining early pregnancy, chute side, is lacking within the industry. This study tested various proven pregnancy detection methods against an alternative method. Pregnancy was assessed by ultrasonography, blood serum pregnancy-specific protein B (PSPB), and urine estrone sulfate (“P-Test”). A fixed timed AI (FTAI) protocol was conducted on 14 predominantly British cattle housed at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX. Cows were synchronized using the co-synch plus 7 day CIDR protocol, with PGF injection of d 7. Heifers were synchronized similarly with the exception of GnRH injection on d 1. Estrotech patch scores (1 – 4, 1 showing little signs of estrus to 4 presenting signs of estrus) were utilized to indicate estrus activity prior to FTAI (21.4% vs. 78.6% females scored 1 vs. 4, respectively). FTAI was performed on protocol d 10 along with a 2mL injection of GnRH. Serum for PSPB analysis was collected at d 30 and 60 post insemination, while urine was sampled on d 60. Overall 53.8% (ultrasonography) and 71.4% (PSPB) of cattle were determined to be pregnant at d 30 post FTAI. Chi squared analysis proved that PSPB and ultrasound were similar at detecting pregnancy (P = 0.04). At d 60 “P-Test” color varied indicating differing levels of estrone sulfate. A t-test revealed increased PSPB from d 30–60 post FTAI (P < 0.0001); however, “P-Test” could not predict similar results (P = 0.655). Data suggest the “P-Test” is not a consistent method to diagnose early pregnancy. Future studies may be warranted to investigate a more desirable time point for utilizing the chute side “P-Test” as a reliable method to determine pregnancy.

Given the scale and rapid spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, or 2019-nCoV), there is an urgent need to identify therapeutics that are effective against COVID-19 before vaccines are available. Since the current rate of SARS-CoV-2 knowledge acquisition via traditional research methods is not sufficient to match the rapid spread of the virus, novel strategies of drug discovery for SARS-CoV-2 infection are required. Structure-based virtual screening for example relies primarily on docking scores and does not take the importance of key residues into consideration, which may lead to a significantly higher incidence rate of false-positive results. Our novel in silico approach, which overcomes these limitations, can be utilized to quickly evaluate FDA-approved drugs for repurposing and combination, as well as designing new chemical agents with therapeutic potential for COVID-19. As a result, anti-HIV or antiviral drugs (lopinavir, tenofovir disoproxil, fosamprenavir and ganciclovir), antiflu drugs (peramivir and zanamivir) and an anti-HCV drug (sofosbuvir) are predicted to bind to 3CLPro in SARS-CoV-2 with therapeutic potential for COVID-19 infection by our new protocol. In addition, we also propose three antidiabetic drugs (acarbose, glyburide and tolazamide) for the potential treatment of COVID-19. Finally, we apply our new virus chemogenomics knowledgebase platform with the integrated machine-learning computing algorithms to identify the potential drug combinations (e.g. remdesivir+chloroquine), which are congruent with ongoing clinical trials. In addition, another 10 compounds from CAS COVID-19 antiviral candidate compounds dataset are also suggested by Molecular Complex Characterizing System with potential treatment for COVID-19. Our work provides a novel strategy for the repurposing and combinations of drugs in the market and for prediction of chemical candidates with anti-COVID-19 potential.

Objective There is limited information regarding the potential effect macronutrients have on postprandial glycemic variability in young children with type 1 diabetes (T1D). To date, studies examining nutrition and glycemic outcomes either assess these factors at a single timepoint, or aggregate large datasets for group level analyses. This study examined how inter- and intraindividual fluctuations in carbohydrate, fat, and protein intake impact glycemic variability in the postprandial period for young children with T1D. Methods Thirty-nine young children, aged 2–6 years, wore a continuous glucose monitor for 72 hr, while their parents completed detailed diet records of all food intake. The analyses tested three multilevel models to examine intra- and interindividual differences between food intake and postprandial glycemic variability. Results The results suggest carbohydrate intake, relates to greater postprandial glycemic variability. In contrast, the results reveal the inverse effect for protein, suggesting a tendency for young children who ate more protein at some meals to have lower postprandial glycemic variability, with the exception of lunch. There was no effect for fat on postprandial glycemic variability. Conclusion These results suggest protein consumption may be an important consideration when aiming for optimal glycemic levels for some meals. When counseling parents of young children with T1D on common behaviors underlying glycemic excursion, pediatric psychologists may consider discussing the nutritional make up of children’s meals. Further, the results demonstrate retaining longitudinal data at the person level, versus aggregating individual data for group level analyses, may offer new information regarding macronutrient intake and glycemic outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: Visual cognitive performance (VCP) is an important factor in high-speed interactions with the environment such as sports or driving, however, the testing, training and determination of factors that influence this ability has been elusive. The overall purpose of the Nutrition, Vision and Cognition in Sport Studies (IONSport) is to determine the nutritional factors that explain large variance in VCP and training responses. The objective of these studies is to determine if beef associated nutrients affect VCP. METHODS: In the preliminary study, 52 college age women performed 15 visual cognitive training sessions (Neurotracker) in 10 visits to the laboratory (all 10 visits within 15 days). On the days of training, all food intake was documented (no intervention, no change in diet). Mean nutritional intakes were calculated for the 10 days of food records. For the RCT intervention, 80 women were randomized to either a daily beef or veggie patty and consumed 1 patty/day for 30 days. RESULTS: In the preliminary study, iron intake was significantly associated to VCP (P 20 mg/day) were all significantly different from each other (P

The use of by- or co-products in livestock production is not a novel concept. However, as adoption of a novel feed ingredient increases, the cost efficiency of its use generally decreases. Therefore, discovery of novel feed ingredients is a worthwhile academic pursuit. Our objective was to determine the storage stability of popcorn (Zea mays L.) in terms of gain or loss in nutritive value. Popcorn was collected on consecutive weekdays in two wk from a local cinema. Samples (n = 10) were subdivided into 9 aliquots and subjected to storage, uncovered, for 0, 1, 2, 3, 7, 35, 70, 105, and 140 d. Following the assigned storage time, samples were dried at 55°C to determine weight loss. Samples were dried at 55°C, ground to pass through a 2-mm screen, and subjected to a batch-culture in vitro assay for digestibility estimates [in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) and in vitro NDF digestibility (IVNDFD)]. Subsamples were ground to 1 mm assayed for neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber. There was a linear increase (P < 0.01) in weight following open storage which was attributed to absorption of ambient moisture. There was a linear decrease (P = 0.03) in NDF, with values decreasing from 20.2% at d 0 to 16.6% at d 140. However, there was no effect of storage on ADF (P = 0.29), IVTD (P = 0.38), or IVNDFD (P = 0.37). Results are interpreted to mean that waste popcorn is relatively shelf stable and may be a viable candidate as a feedstock for diet formulation.

Experiential learning is a feature common to post-secondary agricultural education. Similar to experiential learning opportunities, incorporation of service learning into post-secondary coursework is being encouraged more often. Our objective was to determine how community engagement and introduction of real-world problems in a species-specific production course would affect student performance and outlooks on community service. This experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design within the beef cattle production class during the spring 2019 semester at Tarleton State University. Thirty-eight students were enrolled in the course across two laboratory sections. Students in the first laboratory section were used as a control group. In the control, students were asked to draw from a selection of possibilities a description of herd size, sire and dam breed type, and county. Groups were asked to develop a management plan for a commercial cow-calf operation. Students in the second laboratory section were asked to brainstorm the most prevalent barriers to implementation of best management practices in cow-calf production. Groups were randomly assigned to each topic and were tasked with developing a tri-fold brochure addressing the barrier. They were instructed that this was being done as a service to the greater beef community and would be evaluated by industry representatives. Students in CON had more (P < 0.05) students that reported performing community service weekly or monthly prior to the study than TRT. Groups were similar (P ≥ 0.41) in their assessment of community needs and the role of college students in community service. Likewise, CON and TRT had similar (P ≥ 0.41) responses in having less time available for coursework and their service contributing to the betterment of the overall community. Results are interpreted to mean that incorporation of service learning opportunities does not influence student views on community service.

Quality nutrition for canine species contributes to a large global economic and health care field. Choices abound in terms of the availability of food in any given retail outlet. Likewise, there is copious conjecture surrounding the supposed benefits of certain brands or types over others, especially in the choice of conventional versus grain-free food types. A comparison of nutritive value of feeds relative to ingredient formulation and consumer cost would provide useful insight to the consumer when making selections for canine companion animals. This study sought to ascertain the correlations among ingredient position, nutritive value, and cost of commercially-available dog food. Over the course of February and March of 2019, commercially-available dog food was evaluated at local retail outlets in Stephenville, TX. For each observation, records were made of brand name, formulation, ingredient list, guaranteed nutritive analysis, and cost. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated using PROC CORR, and effect of conventional versus grain-free claims on cost and nutritive value were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS v. 9.4. Order in which meat, meat meal, or corn occurred in the ingredient list was not statistically correlated to cost per kg (P ≥ 0.33) or concentrations of crude protein (P ≥ 0.35), crude fat (P ≥ 0.13), or crude fiber (P ≥ 0.35). Grain-free formulations cost significantly more than conventional formulations ($2.70 vs. $4.60/kg; P < 0.01). However, there was no effect of formulation on concentrations of crude protein (P = 0.07), crude fat (P = 0.37), or crude fiber (P = 0.44). Results are interpreted to mean that, despite claims to the contrary, order of ingredients in a formulation have no observable effect on the nutritive value, but large effects on cost, of commercially-available dog food.

It is important for researchers, as progressive producers, to consider human enterprise wastes as one of the next steps in feedstuff investigation. In an effort to reuse a seemingly useless and disposable component of one of America’s most enjoyed aquatic delicacies, our objective was to determine the nutritive value of crawfish and shrimp shells in relation to ruminant nutrition. These discarded items were collected from local events and sorted into four different groups: crawfish heads, crawfish tails, shrimp shells, and shrimp tails. Crawfish and shrimp wastes were tested independent of each other. These groups were dried at 55°C for 72 h and ground to pass through a 2-mm screen. Samples were subjected to a batch-culture in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) assay. A separate set of samples (1 mm) were assayed for dry matter, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL; inclusive of residual ash). Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Crawfish heads were assayed to contain 26.2% NDF, 13.4% ADF, and 1.0% ADL, while crawfish tails contained 23.7% NDF, 16.3% ADF, and 1.1% ADL. Crawfish heads and tails did not differ in IVTD (P = 0.48) or in vitro NDF digestibility (IVNDFD; P = 0.13; 76.7 vs. 77.2% and 86.8 vs. 91.0%, respectively). Shrimp shells contained 36.1% NDF, 26.9% ADF, and 4.1% ADL, whereas shrimp tails contained 29.1% NDF, 17.9% ADF, and 0.7% ADL. Shrimp tails had greater (P < 0.01) IVTD (74.2 vs. 66.4%) but lesser (P = 0.01) IVNDFD than shrimp shells (80.6 vs. 85.0%). Results are interpreted to mean that crustacean waste may represent a suitable prospective feedstuff for further evaluation.

African domesticated animals, with the exception of the donkey, all came from the Near East. Some 8,000 years ago cattle, sheep, and goats came south to the Sahara which was much wetter than today. Pastoralism was an off-shoot of grain agriculture in the Near East, and those herders immigrating brought with them techniques of harvesting wild grains. With increasing aridity as the Saharan environment dried up around 5000 years ago, the herders began to control and manipulate their stands resulting in millet and sorghum domestication in the Sahel Zone, south of the Sahara. Pearl millet expanded to the south and was taken up by Bantu-speaking Iron Age farmers in the savanna areas of West Africa and then spread around the tropical forest into East Africa by 3000 b.p. As the Sahara dried up and the tsetse belts retreated, sheep and cattle also moved south. They expanded into East Africa via a tsetse-free environment of the Ethiopian highlands arriving around 4000 b.p. It took around 1000 years for the pastoralists to adapt to other epizootic diseases rife in this part of the continent before they could expand throughout the grasslands of Kenya and Tanzania. Thus, East Africa was a socially complex place 3000 years ago, with indigenous hunters, herders and farmers. This put pressure on pastoral use of the environment, so using another tsetse-free corridor from Tanzania, through Zambia to the northern Kalahari, then on to the Western Cape, herders moved to southern Africa, arriving 2000b.p. They were followed to the eastern part of South Africa by Bantu-speaking agro-pastoralists 1600 years ago who were able to use the summer rainfall area for their sorghum and millet crops. Control and manipulation of African indigenous plants of the forest regions probably has a long history from use by hunter-gatherers, but information on this is constrained by archaeological evidence, which is poor in tropical environments due to poor preservation. Evidence for early palm oil domestication has been found in Ghana dated to around 2550b.p. Several African indigenous plants are still widely used, such as yams, but the plant which has spread most widely throughout the world is coffee, originally from Ethiopia. Alien plants, such as maize, potatoes and Asian rice have displaced indigenous plants over much of Africa.

To understand cultural differences, we need to find ways to characterize the variations in the social contexts in which people are located. To do so, we must focus on differences between contexts rather than differences between individuals. Most research of this type has examined differences between nations in terms of dimensions. Treating each nation as a unit, contrasts have been identified in terms of values, beliefs, self-descriptions, and social norms. The most influential difference identified concerned the dimension of individualism–collectivism, which has provided the theoretical framework for numerous studies. The validity of this type of investigation rests on close attention to aspects of measurement to ensure that respondents are able to make the necessary judgments and to respond in ways that are not affected by measurement bias. Where many nations are sampled, multilevel modeling can be used to show the ways in which dimensions of culture affect social behaviors.

Per unit energy, fiber is among the most expensive components of the ruminant diet. While the use of by- or co-products can help offset the costs of feeding cattle, these feeds often increase in price with increased adoption. Wastes from human enterprises may represent the next step in feedstuff investigation. Our objective was to evaluate the suitability of newspaper as a component of silage for ruminant feeding. Newspapers were obtained from the Dick Smith Library and JTAC News at Tarleton State University (Stephenville, TX). Samples were cut into strips (approximately 4.0 × 30.2 mm) using an office shredder. Sorghum-sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench ssp. drummondii (Nees ex Steud.) de Wet & Harlan] was harvested and cut by hand to lengths of approximately 10 cm. Samples were combined to achieved DM ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100% newspaper and sorghum-sudangrass. Distilled water was added to achieve 45% DM. Samples were packed in a double layer of plastic sheeting and sealed in 19 L buckets. Laboratory silos were arranged in a Latin square design in a laboratory and allowed to ferment for 35 d. Ensiled samples were assayed for DM, particle size, and silage acids. There was no effect of newspaper percentage (P = 0.47) on silage pH. Ammonia (0.04 to 1.2% DM), total VFA (0.01 to 4.8% DM), lactic acid (0 to 46.6% VFA), and acetic acid (0.01 to 2.4% DM) increased linearly (P < 0.01) with increased concentration of sorghum-sudangrass. Results indicated that newspaper alone was not an effective feedstuff to ensile. However, addition of newspaper to grass silages could represent a viable means to decrease cost and extend resources for ruminant animal producers.

Activation of physiological stress responses have been associated with decreased pregnancy rates in beef cattle. Therefore, alternative cattle restraint methods have been developed to reduce this negative impact. However, little evidence exists comparing pregnancy outcomes of differing methods. Thus our objective was to determine if a difference was present in pregnancy rate to fixed-time artificial insemination in Bos taurus beef females when using a breeding box (b) versus a squeeze chute (c). Cows and heifers from two separate locations (Virginia Tech University, VT; and R.A. Brown Ranch, RAB) were exposed to FTAI protocols at location of origin while restrained in a squeeze chute (n = 169) or a breeding box (n = 162). Females were exposed to the 7 day Co-Sync + CIDR protocol pre-breeding. At day of breeding, females were randomly assigned to treatment. Immediately following breeding, blood was collected via coccygeal venipuncture for assessment of plasma cortisol concentration using an automated ELISA assay (Immulite 2000 XPi, Siemens). Chute and Exit Score (1–5) were assessed at the time of breeding by a trained technician at each location. Pregnancy was verified thirty days post-breeding via rectal ultrasonography. Pregnancy rate (PROC FREQ) and cortisol (PROC GLIMMIX) were analyzed using SAS version 9.4. Also, a Linear Regression Model (SAS version 9.4) was used to determine relationships between chute score, exit score, and cortisol. It was found that there was no difference in pregnancy rate between the breeding box and the squeeze chute (61.73% vs 64.71%, P = 0.31, respectively). Cortisol showed no difference between b and c (59.44±10.17 vs 58.61±10.16, P = 0.68, respectively). There was no linear relationship between cortisol, exit score, and chute score (P = 0.14). It can be concluded that stress responses are similar between the breeding box and squeeze chute. Therefore females will have similar pregnancy rates when exposed to FTAI in either restraint mechanism.

Fresh ground pork products are highly susceptible to deteriorative oxidation due to high fat content and increased surface area exposure of proteins. Recent trends and health concerns among consumers have sparked interest in finding alternatives for synthetic ingredients used for preservation of commercially manufactured processed meats. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of naturally sourced mixed tocopherols to a mixture of butylated hydroxylanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) on prevention of lipid oxidation and color stability in fresh pork sausage patties. Duplicate batches of pork Boston butt trim and pork back fat were mixed 5:1, respectively, coarse ground, and combined with pork sausage seasoning. Pork mixture was then fine ground and 3175.5 g portions were assigned to one of three treatments: no antioxidants (CON), 0.01% of BHA and 0.01% BHT mixture (SYN), or 0.03% Decanox MTS30P (MTS). Patties (56.7 g) were hand pressed, placed on Styrofoam trays (S4), polyvinyl chloride film overwrapped and positioned in a retail display case. Patties (n = 45) were evaluated for instrumental color (L*, a*, and b*) and display discoloration (1 = very bright, to 8 = tan to brown) in 12-hr intervals for 252 hr. Fifteen patties from each treatment were collected for thiobarbituric acid reactive substance analysis. No differences between treatments (P > 0.05) were found for display discoloration or instrumental color. SYN patties had significantly lower malondialdehyde values (P = 0.047) than both CON and MTS patties at 252 hr. In conclusion, mixed tocopherols were not as effective as synthetic antioxidants in slowing lipid oxidation. However, it can be noted that mixed tocopherols can replace synthetic antioxidants in ground pork sausage and have the same effect on color stability.

Ruminant animals develop a diverse and complex microbial ecosystem for digesting fibrous feedstuffs, but this material represents a cost to the industry when bound for rendering at harvest. Our objective was to determine the feed value of paunch manure recovered from an abattoir. Twelve paunch samples were collected from slaughtered cattle at the Tarleton State University Meat Laboratory, Stephenville, TX. Samples were dried under forced air at 55°C to a constant weight and ground to pass through 2-mm screen. A subsample was ground to 1-mm and assayed for DM, CP, and sequential NDF and ADF. Physically effective fiber (peNDF) was calculated with 2 L of unground, dried at 55 ˚C, paunch material using the manually-operated Penn State Particle Separator. Paunch peNDF was determined by multiplying the physical effectiveness factor by the total NDF content of the sample. Samples (2-mm) were subject to batch culture in vitro digestibility assays for determination of digestibility coefficients. Data were analysed as a random effects model using PROC GLIMMIX in SAS. Neutral detergent fiber, ADF, ADL, CP, and peNDF values were 68.1, 39.9, 10.9, 15.0, and 38.7%, respectively. Contribution to variance of the individual animal for NDF, ADF, ADL, CP, and peNDF was 97.2, 97.9, 95.4, 19.1, and 97.5%, respectively. In vitro true digestibility (IVTD) and in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD) was recorded as 46.2% and 21.6%, respectively. Contribution to variance of the animal for IVTD and IVNDFD was 99.05 and 98.49%, respectively. Data collected suggest paunch manure could provide valuable nutrients for livestock production, specifically fiber and protein. For full viability of application in a sustainable system, a centralized receiving and compositing system may be useful for development of a consistent product.

Ruminant animals develop a diverse and complex microbial ecosystem for digesting fibrous feedstuffs, but this material represents a cost to the industry when bound for rendering at harvest. Our objective was to determine the feed value of paunch manure recovered from an abattoir. Twelve paunch samples were collected from slaughtered cattle at the Tarleton State University Meat Laboratory, Stephenville, TX. Samples were dried under forced air at 55°C to a constant weight and ground to pass through 2-mm screen. A subsample was ground to 1-mm and assayed for DM, CP, and sequential NDF and ADF. Physically effective fiber (peNDF) was calculated with 2 L of unground, dried at 55 ˚C, paunch material using the manually-operated Penn State Particle Separator. Paunch peNDF was determined by multiplying the physical effectiveness factor by the total NDF content of the sample. Samples (2-mm) were subject to batch culture in vitro digestibility assays for determination of digestibility coefficients. Data were analysed as a random effects model using PROC GLIMMIX in SAS. Neutral detergent fiber, ADF, ADL, CP, and peNDF values were 68.1, 39.9, 10.9, 15.0, and 38.7%, respectively. Contribution to variance of the individual animal for NDF, ADF, ADL, CP, and peNDF was 97.2, 97.9, 95.4, 19.1, and 97.5%, respectively. In vitro true digestibility (IVTD) and in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD) was recorded as 46.2% and 21.6%, respectively. Contribution to variance of the animal for IVTD and IVNDFD was 99.05 and 98.49%, respectively. Data collected suggest paunch manure could provide valuable nutrients for livestock production, specifically fiber and protein. For full viability of application in a sustainable system, a centralized receiving and compositing system may be useful for development of a consistent product.

Objective The study sought to present the findings of a systematic review of studies involving secondary analyses of data coded with standardized nursing terminologies (SNTs) retrieved from electronic health records (EHRs). Materials and Methods We identified studies that performed secondary analysis of SNT-coded nursing EHR data from PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. We screened 2570 unique records and identified 44 articles of interest. We extracted research questions, nursing terminologies, sample characteristics, variables, and statistical techniques used from these articles. An adapted STROBE (Strengthening The Reporting of OBservational Studies in Epidemiology) Statement checklist for observational studies was used for reproducibility assessment. Results Forty-four articles were identified. Their study foci were grouped into 3 categories: (1) potential uses of SNT-coded nursing data or challenges associated with this type of data (feasibility of standardizing nursing data), (2) analysis of SNT-coded nursing data to describe the characteristics of nursing care (characterization of nursing care), and (3) analysis of SNT-coded nursing data to understand the impact or effectiveness of nursing care (impact of nursing care). The analytical techniques varied including bivariate analysis, data mining, and predictive modeling. Discussion SNT-coded nursing data extracted from EHRs is useful in characterizing nursing practice and offers the potential for demonstrating its impact on patient outcomes. Conclusions Our study provides evidence of the value of SNT-coded nursing data in EHRs. Future studies are needed to identify additional useful methods of analyzing SNT-coded nursing data and to combine nursing data with other data elements in EHRs to fully characterize the patient’s health care experience.

Mental health treatments can be more effective when they align with the culture of the client and when therapists demonstrate multicultural competence. This chapter defines cultural adaptations and therapist multicultural competencies and provides clinical examples of each. It summarizes relevant research findings in two meta-analyses. In the meta-analysis on the effectiveness of culturally adapted interventions, the average effect size across 99 studies was d = .50. In the second meta-analysis on 15 studies of therapist cultural competence, the results differed by rating source: Client-rated measures of therapist cultural competence correlated strongly with treatment outcomes (r = .38) but therapists’ self-rated competency did not (r = .06). The chapter lists limitations of the research and patient contributions, concluding with research-supported therapeutic practices that help clients benefit from cultural adaptations and from therapists they perceive as culturally competent.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) has been shown to increase mitochondrial number and function in human epidermis (Poeggeler et al., FASEB J. 24:1525–1531; 2010). Extrathyroidal action of TSH has not been examined in horses. Therefore, we aimed to test the hypothesis that TSH would increase mitochondrial density and activity in muscle from sedentary mature (n=3; 11 ± 4.6 yr) and aged (n=4; 19 ± 3.6 yr) Quarter horses (4 mares, 3 geldings). Triceps brachii muscle samples (600 mg) were placed into chilled PBS for immediate transport to the laboratory. Tissue from each horse was separated into 8 wells (75 mg/well) containing 2 mL incubation media (DMEM, 5% fetal bovine serum, 10% horse serum, 50 ug/mL gentamycin) with 2 replicates of 4 doses of bovine pituitary TSH (Millipore Sigma): 0 (CON), 2.5 (T2.5), 10 (T10) or 20 (T20) mIU TSH/mL. Alamar Blue (10%) was added to one replicate for each TSH concentration to assess metabolic rate; the second replicate was used for analysis of oxidative capacity (PCI+II) via high-resolution respirometry and mitochondrial number (citrate synthase activity; CS) and function (cytochrome c oxidase; CCO) by colorimetry. Samples were incubated for 18 h at 37oC, 5% CO2. For each horse, values were normalized to CON and data were analyzed using PROC MIXED (SAS v9.4) with TSH dose, age, sex and all interactions as fixed effects. Citrate synthase activity was lower for aged than mature (P=0.0042) and lower for mares than geldings (P=0.0008). However, there was no significant age X TSH or sex X TSH interaction on any of the variables measured. Integrated (per mg protein) PCI+II was higher for T10 than CON, T2.5 and T20 (P=0.012). Thus, 10 mIU TSH in vitro elicited similar increases in oxidative capacity between muscle samples from mature and aged horses of both sexes.

Numbers of grandparents raising children continue to rise. Over 2.7 million American children are in grandparents’ care. A 7% increase during this decade is driven in part by the current opioid drug crisis. Varied multi-generational issues common in kinship families leads to involvement by professionals, representing diverse fields including education, social work, and health care. Despite increased access due to rising numbers, there has been little focus on enhancing professionals’ work with kinship families. A pilot study (N = 42) explored professionals’ experience and preparation for working with kinship families. Over 90% were employed as teachers, counselors or child welfare workers. All had previously worked with kinship family members. The study assessed participants’ previous experience working with kin families, types of information/services provided, readiness for kinship work, access to training, and desire for additional information. Over 85% of participants reported receiving no professional training or information. 96% of participants rated themselves as “not very well” or “not at all” prepared to work effectively with kinship family members. Services participants provided to kinship families reflected a diverse focus, including information on child development, parenting skills, access to resources and family relationships. 100% of participants desired additional information and training in areas including challenges for custodial grandparents, children living in kinship homes, legal and mental health resources, and strategies for linking kinship family members with other kinship families. Results can be used to highlight needs and motivation of professionals for training and information that will enhance their work with kinship families.

This chapter traces the expansion of the French welfare state prompted by the two world wars. During World War I, local-level interventionism grew massively in areas such as hospitals, but also in unemployment assistance and housing. As pronatalism fuelled many reform efforts in the interwar years, national social policy became more important, closely connected to military motivations, and social insurance legislation was introduced with broad political support. The Vichy regime continued in a broadly expansionary direction, but it was only after liberation that a certain idea of statism, unique to France, was institutionalized. The Fourth Republic’s foundational myth revolved around the welfare state and social security coverage was extended, albeit in a fragmented manner.

We hypothesized that abomasal infusion of glucose would promote de novo fatty acid biosynthesis from glucose in vitro in bovine intramuscular (i.m.) and subcutaneous (s.c.) adipose tissues to a greater extent than ruminal infusion of acetate, propionate, or glucose. Angus crossbred steers (n = 24), 22 mo of age, were fitted with ruminal cannulas, and steers were adapted to another corn/sorghum finishing diet over a 2-wk period while recovering from the placement of the cannulas. After the adaptation period, the steers were fed the second finishing diet at 130% of their voluntary intake and were infused with isocaloric amounts (3.76 Mcal/d) of glucose, propionate, or acetate for 35 d. Glucose was infused either into the rumen or into the abomasum, whereas propionate and acetate were infused into the rumen. Acetate infusion decreased DM and DE intakes (P < 0.05). The 5th to 8th longissimus muscle section was removed immediately and transported to the laboratory within 10 min post-exsanguination in 38 °C, oxygenated Krebs Henseleit buffer containing 5 mM glucose and 5 mM acetate. Intramuscular and s.c. adipose tissues were dissected from the muscle and incubated in vitro in 5 mM glucose plus 5 mM acetate (containing [U-(14)C]glucose or [1-(14)C]acetate). Lipid content was lower (P = 0.04) in i.m. adipose tissue of the acetate-infused steers than in the other treatment groups, and i.m. adipocytes from acetate-infused steers were smaller (P = 0.01) than those from propionate-infused steers. The rate of incorporation of acetate into glyceride-fatty acids (GFA) in i.m. and s.c. adipose tissues was greater (P < 0.03) in steers receiving ruminal or abomasal infusions of glucose than in adipose tissues from steers infused with acetate. The greatest rates of GFA synthesis were observed in s.c. adipose tissue from steers infused ruminally with propionate or abomasally infused with glucose (P < 0.001). In i.m. and s.c. adipose tissues, the proportion of acetyl units from acetate incorporated into GFA was greater in steers receiving glucose infusion in the rumen or abomasum than in steers receiving acetate or propionate infusion (P < 0.05). Contrary to our hypothesis, abomasal glucose infusion did not promote greater fatty acid biosynthesis from glucose in i.m. adipose tissue than ruminal glucose infusion. However, glucose infusion caused the greatest production of acetyl units from acetate in i.m. and s.c. adipose tissues.

Background: Epigenetic dysregulation may be involved in the underlying molecular deficits in schizophrenia (SZ). Previous research by our group has show hypermethylation of GABAergic promoter gene in and increases in DNMT1 and DNMT3A in post mortem brain samples of patients with SZ. We have also shown that difference sin DNMT1 and other epigenetically related enzymes are also found in the lymphocytes of living patients with chronic schizophrenia (CSZ). We now report preliminary results on epigenetic related mRNA’s in lymphocytes on a larger sample of CSZ. Methods: CSZ (n = 29) and nonpsychotic controls (NPC) (n = 31) subjects had a blood sample (60–80 cc) drawn, and lymphocyte pellet extracted by Ficoll gradient procedure. qPCR assays were used to measure epigenetically related mRNA’s—DNMT1, DMNT3A, TET1, TET2, TET3, BDNF, NR3C (glucocorticoid receptor).We also assayed several immunological related mRNA (which appeared as strong hits from RNA sequence analysis) T-Cell Surface Glycoprotein CD4, CCR1 (C-C motif chemokine receptor 1), FPRL3 (Formyl Peptide Receptor). Assays were performed using Taqman probes with B-Actin as housekeeping gene. Patients were also evaluated with psychopathology with PANSS, for cognitive function with MATRICS, and for odor identification and discrimination with Sniff and Sticks smell test. Results: In this sample CSZ showed significantly higher DMNT3A (P = .048) than NPC Male CSZ showed significantly higher DNMT1 than NPC (P = .014), but the total sample there was a trend but no significant difference in DNMT1. Compared to NPC, CSZ subjects showed significantly higher levels of GABAergic enzymes measured by the GAD1 probe (which assays GAD67 and GAD25 mRNA) (P = .030), higher levels of glucocorticoid receptor measured by the NRC3 probe (P = .006), and significantly lower levels of FRPRL3(P = .039). Higher levels FPRL3 and CD4 were moderately correlated with PANSS positive symptoms in CSZ (FRPL3 r = +.43 P = .019, CD4 r = +.37 P = .054) and these correlations were slightly stronger in male CSZ. Higher DNMT1 and DNMT3A levels in lymphocytes of CSZ correlated negatively with scores n MATRICs battery (DNMT1—attention/vigilance—r = −.41, P = .031, working memory r = −.37, P = .048, composite score r = −.36, P = .063). Conclusion: CSZ demonstrate differences in epigenetically related mRNA’s in their lymphocytes. In CSZ higher levels of DNMT were related to poorer cognitive performance and higher levels of immunological related mRNA to greater positive symptom scores. Some potential differences to our previously published results may be related to differences in mRNA’s measured by the Taqman probes and earlier research with specifically generated sequence probes.

Children’s rights in early childhood education have provided a new and different lens for how we view and treat young children. Rights are entitlements that every human being has, that are considered essential for their optimal development (Veerman 1992, cited under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child [UNCRC]). That children are human beings with rights has become recognized since the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (cited under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child [UNCRC]) in 1989. When children’s rights are realized, they are provided with a better quality of life, opportunities for healthy development, and fulfillment of their potential. Children’s rights thinking is transformative, changing the power relations between children, adults, and the state; this is so that children are seen as active subjects rather than the objects of socialization or the chattels of their parents (Tobin 2011, cited under Theoretical Foundations). The UNCRC defines a child as a human being below the age of eighteen. Definitions of early childhood vary in different countries according to the organization of preschool and elementary school systems, but early childhood education is defined here as any center, school, or home-based program catering for the education and care of children up to the age of eight. It is impossible to separate care and education for young children, since caring relationships are an essential influence on children’s learning, so early childhood education includes childcare centers, nursery schools and classes, kindergartens, parent co-operative programs, language immersion centers, Headstart classes, Montessori or Steiner programs, family daycare schemes, and beginning school classrooms. Implementing children’s rights for infants and young children is particularly important since during these early years, children are most vulnerable to rights violations, and they are most able to benefit from their rights being catered for. For example, there is substantial evidence to suggest that children in disadvantaged circumstances achieve much better social and educational outcomes if they have participated in high-quality early childhood education programs (Smith 2015, cited under Early Childhood Policy in a Global Context). This bibliography demonstrates the relevance of the UNCRC for early childhood education, shows the theoretical basis of rights thinking, and focuses on five key areas of children’s rights—education, nondiscrimination, language/culture, participation and curriculum/pedagogy. Finally, it shows how children’s rights have been applied to global early childhood policies and to designing research that is respectful of children’s rights.

We present a catalogue of nearly 3,000 submillimetre sources detected at 850um over ~5 square degrees surveyed as part of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy Survey (S2CLS). This is the largest survey of its kind at 850um, probing a meaningful cosmic volume at the peak of star formation activity and increasing the sample size of submillimetre galaxies selected at 850um by an order of magnitude. We describe the wide 850um survey component of S2CLS, which covers the key extragalactic survey fields: UKIDSS-UDS, COSMOS, Akari-NEP, Extended Groth Strip, Lockman Hole North, SSA22 and GOODS-North. The average 1-sigma depth of S2CLS is 1.2 mJy/beam, approaching the SCUBA-2 850um confusion limit, which we determine to be ~0.8 mJy/beam. We measure the single dish 850um number counts to unprecedented accuracy, reducing the Poisson errors on the differential counts to approximately 4% at S_850~3mJy. With several independent fields, we investigate field-to-field variance, finding that the number counts on 0.5-1 degree scales are generally within 50% of the S2CLS mean for S_850>3mJy, with scatter consistent with the Poisson and estimated cosmic variance uncertainties, although there is a marginal (2-sigma) density enhancement in the GOODS-North field. The observed number counts are in reasonable agreement with recent phenomenological and semi-analytic models. Finally, the large solid angle of S2CLS allows us to measure the bright-end counts: at S_850>10mJy there are approximately ten sources per square degree, and we detect the distinctive up-turn in the number counts indicative of the detection of local sources of 850um emission and strongly lensed high-redshift galaxies. Here we describe the data collection and reduction procedures and present calibrated maps and a catalogue of sources; these are made publicly available., Submitted to MNRAS, comments welcome. Catalogue and maps at http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.57792

Numbers of American children being raised by relatives continue to rise. Over 7.8 million children, representing 10.5% of American children under age 18, lived in a relative-headed home. Of these, 2.5 million have no parent present in their home (Generations United, 2016). Kinship families’ needs are typically complex, needing prompt and sensitive responses. Varied professionals often serve kinship families but the majority report receiving little information or training related to kinship families. (Smith 2017 This pilot project surveyed professionals (n = 63) representing varied disciplines in a pre/post-test format to determine change in knowledge and strategies for working with kinship care family members. All respondents were enrolled in graduate courses specifically focused on kinship families. Respondents represented diverse fields including family therapists (n = 9), family service workers (n = 23), teachers (n = 16), school administrators (n = 4), child care providers (n = 2) and health care professionals (n = 7 ). Respondents completed a 17 question pre/post survey. Results demonstrated the majority (n = 59; 93%) had experience with kinship families but most (n = 47; 74%) had received little/no targeted professional training. Post-test results strongly indicated that completing any amount of kinship-related coursework positively impacted professionals’ knowledge, confidence, and readiness to utilize learned strategies in their work with kinship families. Additionally, post-test results of students completing the entire series of classes (9 credits) revealed significantly greater changes, demonstrating the importance of providing comprehensive information to enhance professional practices for working with kinship families.

Background The ExPEC4V vaccine contains 4 Escherichia coli O-antigens (O1A, O2, O6A, O25B) conjugated to exotoxin protein A and is being studied for prevention of Invasive Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) Disease (IED). This phase-2 double-blind study assessed safety and immunogenicity of ExPEC4V Clinical Trial Material (CTM), manufactured via a redesigned process (optimized O1A strain). Methods Participants (≥18 years) in stable health were randomized (3:1) to receive ExPEC4V dose 4:4:4:8 μg PS/serotype or placebo on Day 1 and second vaccination on Day 181 (6 months after first vaccination). Participants will be followed for safety until end of study at Day 360. Reactogenicity and immunogenicity (by ELISA, opsonophagocytic killing [OPA] assays) were evaluated pre-vaccination, and 15 days after first and second vaccinations (Day 195). Results Of 100 participants randomized (mean age 56, 48% males) and vaccinated (ExPEC4V, n = 75; placebo, n = 25), 97 completed Day 30. Solicited local AEs were higher for ExPEC4V (38.7%) than placebo (20%); most frequent was pain/tenderness (38.7% vs 20%). Solicited systemic AEs were higher in ExPEC4V (49.3%) than placebo (20%); most frequent was fatigue (32% vs. 12%). No serious or grade 3 solicited local AEs were reported. One participant in ExPEC4V experienced a grade 3 solicited systemic fatigue considered vaccine-related by investigator. ExPEC4V demonstrated immune responses against all serotypes at Day 15. Geometric mean titer effective concentration rank by serotypes was O2 > O1A > O6 > O25B (Figures 1 and 2). At Day 15, ≥ 82% of participants in ExPEC4V and none in placebo had ≥2-fold increase from baseline of ELISA titer for all serotypes. In ExPEC4V, ≥47% had ≥2-fold increase from baseline of OPA titer for all serotypes, while 8% in placebo had ≥2-fold increase only for O6A. Good correlation was observed between ELISA and OPA across serotypes (r ≥ 0.76). Conclusion ExPEC4V elicited robust and functional immune responses across all serotypes and was well tolerated with no vaccine safety findings. This study supports the development of future multivalent ExPEC vaccine to prevent IED. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

International audience; Protein-ligand complex neocarzinostatin (NCS) is a small, thermostable protein-ligand complex that is able to deliver its ligand cargo into live mammalian cells where it induces DNA damage. Apo-NCS is able to functionally display complementarity determining regions loops, and has been hypothesised to act as a cell-penetrating protein, which would make it an ideal scaffold for cell targeting, and subsequent intracellular delivery of small-molecule drugs. In order to evaluate apo-NCS as a cell penetrating protein, we have evaluated the efficiency of its internalisation into live HeLa cells using matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and fluorescence microscopy. Following incubation of cells with apo-NCS, we observed no evidence of internalisation.

This paper is the second in a pair of articles presenting data release 1 (DR1) of the Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey (H-ATLAS), the largest single open-time key project carried out with the Herschel Space Observatory. The H-ATLAS is a wide-area imaging survey carried out in five photometric bands at 100, 160, 250, 350 and 500$��$m covering a total area of 600deg$^2$. In this paper we describe the identification of optical counterparts to submillimetre sources in DR1, comprising an area of 161 deg$^2$ over three equatorial fields of roughly 12$^\circ$x4.5$^\circ$ centred at 9$^h$, 12$^h$ and 14.5$^h$ respectively. Of all the H-ATLAS fields, the equatorial regions benefit from the greatest overlap with current multi-wavelength surveys spanning ultraviolet (UV) to mid-infrared regimes, as well as extensive spectroscopic coverage. We use a likelihood-ratio technique to identify SDSS counterparts at r, MNRAS accepted

Fruits are important resources for autumn migrating passerines and we show that site-related patterns in the physiology of two species, as measured by plasma metabolite profiling, are associated with local variation in fruit availability and biochemical composition. Results suggest potentially important physiological consequences of both fruit abundance and their nutritional quality for refueling birds at critical stopover sites., Birds that migrate long distances between breeding and wintering grounds are challenged to find adequate stopover sites that can provide a high-quality source of nutrition in order to refuel quickly and continue on their migratory journeys. Wild fruits are a well-documented component in the diets of many passerines during autumn migration. Thus, fruit availability and the proliferation of shrubs that bear low-quality fruits at important stopover sites may dictate the quality of food resources available for refuelling birds and present a conservation concern. We profiled plasma metabolites of two migratory passerine species at two different stopover sites near the south shore of Lake Ontario during the peak of autumn migration. We also measured diversity, availability and nutritional quality of fruits present at these sites. Site explained most of the variation in plasma triglyceride for both bird species, but was less important than other confounding variables for explaining concentrations of plasma β-hydroxybutyrate and plasma uric acid concentrations. Site differences in fat deposition, as indicated by plasma triglyceride, may in part be explained by the large differences in diversity and availability of high-quality fruits between the two sites. Our results suggest that abundant, lipid-rich native fruits with high-energy density are associated with increased fat deposition during autumn stopovers for some species, although other factors, such as proximity to the Lake Ontario shoreline and the opportunities to refuel in the surrounding landscape, are likely to play a role in stopover site use by birds. It is possible that local site characteristics that influence growing conditions may impact the quality of fruits produced by a plant species, altering the availability of critical nutrients for avian consumers.

Bubble detectors have been used to characterise the neutron dose and energy spectrum in several modules of the International Space Station (ISS) as part of an ongoing radiation survey. A series of experiments was performed during the ISS-34, ISS-35, ISS-36 and ISS-37 missions between December 2012 and October 2013. The Radi-N2 experiment, a repeat of the 2009 Radi-N investigation, included measurements in four modules of the US orbital segment: Columbus, the Japanese experiment module, the US laboratory and Node 2. The Radi-N2 dose and spectral measurements are not significantly different from the Radi-N results collected in the same ISS locations, despite the large difference in solar activity between 2009 and 2013. Parallel experiments using a second set of detectors in the Russian segment of the ISS included the first characterisation of the neutron spectrum inside the tissue-equivalent Matroshka-R phantom. These data suggest that the dose inside the phantom is ∼70 % of the dose at its surface, while the spectrum inside the phantom contains a larger fraction of high-energy neutrons than the spectrum outside the phantom. The phantom results are supported by Monte Carlo simulations that provide good agreement with the empirical data.

The Soviet Union was the workers’ state and worker culture, broadly defined, coloured the whole of the Soviet experience. At the centre of the most transformative Soviet project of all, Stalin’s industrial revolution of 1928–41, workers benefited from specific privileges and from affirmative action, though they also suffered the misery of rapid industrial change. After 1953, they enjoyed a heyday of modest material advances and moral certainties, marked by the sense that society respected at least some of their values and would do so forever. But this sense was not shared by all Soviet workers, and lifestyles varied by industry, skill level, and region. And the heyday faded as shortages became increasingly difficult to endure, and then ended, as Gorbachev’s reforms destroyed the comforts that remained. A positive worker identity, but not a coherent class consciousness, survived through toperestroika, and helped to sustain the dynamic of Soviet history.

DNA gyrase is the only topoisomerase able to introduce negative supercoils into DNA. Absent in humans, gyrase is a successful target for antibacterial drugs. However, increasing drug resistance is a serious problem and new agents are urgently needed. The naturally-produced Escherichia coli toxin CcdB has been shown to target gyrase by what is predicted to be a novel mechanism. CcdB has been previously shown to stabilize the gyrase 'cleavage complex', but it has not been shown to inhibit the catalytic reactions of gyrase. We present data showing that CcdB does indeed inhibit the catalytic reactions of gyrase by stabilization of the cleavage complex and that the GyrA C-terminal DNA-wrapping domain and the GyrB N-terminal ATPase domain are dispensable for CcdB's action. We further investigate the role of specific GyrA residues in the action of CcdB by site-directed mutagenesis; these data corroborate a model for CcdB action based on a recent crystal structure of a CcdB-GyrA fragment complex. From this work, we are now able to present a model for CcdB action that explains all previous observations relating to CcdB-gyrase interaction. CcdB action requires a conformation of gyrase that is only revealed when DNA strand passage is taking place.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an uncommon neurodegenerative disease caused by degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons. Several genes, including SOD1, TDP-43, FUS, Ubiquilin 2, C9orf72 and Profilin 1, have been linked with the sporadic and familiar forms of ALS. FUS is a DNA/RNA-binding protein (RBP) that forms cytoplasmic inclusions in ALS and frontotemporal lobular degeneration (FTLD) patients' brains and spinal cords. However, it is unknown whether the RNA-binding ability of FUS is required for causing ALS pathogenesis. Here, we exploited a Drosophila model of ALS and neuronal cell lines to elucidate the role of the RNA-binding ability of FUS in regulating FUS-mediated toxicity, cytoplasmic mislocalization and incorporation into stress granules (SGs). To determine the role of the RNA-binding ability of FUS in ALS, we mutated FUS RNA-binding sites (F305L, F341L, F359L, F368L) and generated RNA-binding-incompetent FUS mutants with and without ALS-causing mutations (R518K or R521C). We found that mutating the aforementioned four phenylalanine (F) amino acids to leucines (L) (4F-L) eliminates FUS RNA binding. We observed that these RNA-binding mutations block neurodegenerative phenotypes seen in the fly brains, eyes and motor neurons compared with the expression of RNA-binding-competent FUS carrying ALS-causing mutations. Interestingly, RNA-binding-deficient FUS strongly localized to the nucleus of Drosophila motor neurons and mammalian neuronal cells, whereas FUS carrying ALS-linked mutations was distributed to the nucleus and cytoplasm. Importantly, we determined that incorporation of mutant FUS into the SG compartment is dependent on the RNA-binding ability of FUS. In summary, we demonstrate that the RNA-binding ability of FUS is essential for the neurodegenerative phenotype in vivo of mutant FUS (either through direct contact with RNA or through interactions with other RBPs).

The basic framework for research in many areas of psychology has derived principally from the extensive range of studies conducted over the past hundred years on and by that small proportion of the world's population that resides in North America. This article briefly identifies some of the key areas in which it has thus far been argued that there is something different or distinctive about the psychology of ethnic Chinese. It focuses on examining the extent to which studies conducted in other parts of the world have also identified some of the supposedly distinctive Chinese attributes. It also provides the criteria that are needed for assessing the distinctiveness of Chinese psychology. Sampling of the beliefs and values endorsed within the four primarily Chinese societies in the world in relation to non-Chinese societies indicates substantial psychological variability within the domain of Chinese ethnicity.