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The buffalo ( Bubalus bubalis) is a source of milk and meat, and also serves as a draft animal. In this study, a 5000-rad whole-genome radiation hybrid (RH) panel for river buffalo was constructed and used to build preliminary RH maps for BBU3 and BBU10 chromosomes. The preliminary maps contain 66 markers, including coding genes, cattle expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and microsatellite loci. The RH maps presented here are the starting point for mapping additional loci that will allow detailed comparative maps between buffalo, cattle and other species whose genomes may be mapped in the future. A large quantity of DNA has been prepared from the cell lines forming the river buffalo RH panel and will be made publicly available to the international community both for the study of chromosome evolution and for the improvement of traits important to the role of buffalo in animal agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A myocardial membrane fraction enriched in sarcolemma was used to determine the susceptibility of the lipids to hydrolysis by a phospholipase A from granulocytes. After incubation (37 C, pH 7.0, 5 mM Ca) with the phospholipase A for 30 min, a more than 3-fold increase in unesterified fatty acids was found (up to 47 nmol/mg protein; P<0.001) relative to a control incubated without phospholipase A or Ca. This included a 10-fold increase in the arachidonic acid content (up to 42 mol %) and at least a 7-fold increase in lysophosphatidylethanolamine (up to 7.4 mol% total phospholipid-P). However, the exogenous phospholipase did not augment the quantity of lysophosphatidylcholine produced by endogenous phospholipases in the presence of Ca (5 mM). These results demonstrate the in vitro susceptibility of phospholipids of myocardial membranes, particularly phosphatidylethanolamine, to the neutral-active, Ca-dependent phospholipase A from granulocytes. This work may be relevant to myocardial inflammation and tissue damage during ischemia, where heterolytic injury of the myocardium may occur subsequent to the accumulation of granulocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater treatment in southern West Virginia is limited by steep terrain and shallow soil. Surface mine reclamation replaces soil materials that may be suitable for wastewater treatment. Two minesoil series, Kaymine (a loamy-skeletal, mixed, nonacid, mesic Typic Udorthent)and Sewell (a loamy-skeletal, mixed, add, mesic Typic Udorthent), were selected and soil samples were collected on six reclaimed surface mines to determine texture, bulk density, water retention, and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat). Kaymine had more clay and silt andhigher moisture retention than Sewell. In A horizons, Kaymine Ksat was about two orders of magnitude faster than Sewell, but Ksat values were highly variable within and among sites. On two reclaimed mine sites (one Sewell and one Kaymine), tapwater or wastewater was surface applied to 9 m2 field plots over 32 wk. Leachate was collected in 50 and 100 cm wells and analyzed for chemical and microbiological properties. On the Sewell minesoil, little water was collected in wells after application, therefore water failed to move adequately in this minesoil. On Kaymine, Fe, Mn, sulfate, and suspended solids were present in all wells, indicating flushing of these materials fromminesoils into wells. Nitrate (NO3)-N was about two timesgreater in wastewater than tapwater and this same ratio was found incorresponding wells. Biological oxygen demand was decreased by 87% from wastewater to water in wells. Fecal coliform bacteria were not removed by wastewater passing through Kaymine soils. In general, these minesoils are not suitable for wastewater renovation based on the application methods and rates employed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A steam/noncondensible gas foam formulation was developed to reduce steam mobility in the steam drive process as applied to heavy oil reservoirs with little or no dip such as the Kern River field. The steam/noncondensible gas foam process is intended to reduce or minimize the gravity layover problem in such reservoirs. Laboratory experimentation started with foam studies in the absence of both porous media and crude oil at a substeam temperature. Conditions existing in the application under actual field use were then added in a step-by-step manner, i.e., inclusion of porous media, existence of an oil saturation, and the addition of steam foam components to injected steam. Added salt was necessary for mobility reduction. Mode of noncondensible gas injection (constant mass vs constant volume) was not important. Adsorption of surfactant was shown to be quite low at steam temperature. The concentrations of steam foam components - Siponate DS-10, salt and nitrogen - recommended for the Kern River pilot resulted in a steam mobility 0.18 of that obtained with steam alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding racial influences on human papillomavirus (HPV) distribution in women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) cytology via partial genotyping in a statewide population can inform HPV-based prevention efforts., Methods: Women aged 21 to 65 years with any cytology result and partial HPV genotyping for ASCUS triage between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2017, were included. All women attended a Mississippi State Department of Health clinic. Age, race, cytopathologic, and HPV data were extracted from the electronic health record and analyzed. Cytologic specimens were processed with ThinPrep and HPV testing with the Cobas 4800 assay. HPV genotypes were evaluated in hierarchical categories. Chi-square tests and multinomial logistic regression models evaluated associations between race and type prevalence., Results: There were 43,106 women who underwent cervical cancer screening with cytology and ASCUS triage. Of these, 34,363 (80.2%) had normal cytology, 4672 (10.9%) had ASCUS, 2683 (6.3%) had a low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, and 633 (1.5%) had a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. Blacks represented 69.3% of the sample and had a higher proportion of HPV-positive ASCUS (6.5%) in comparison with whites (5.6%). Blacks had significantly decreased odds of HPV-16 (odds ratio [OR], 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.6-0.9; P = .002) and significantly increased odds for 12 other types (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.2-1.5; P < .0001) in comparison with whites., Conclusions: In a diverse population, significant differences in HPV genotypes are shown by race. Importantly, blacks with ASCUS are less likely to be positive for HPV-16 in comparison with whites. Ongoing work is evaluating the individual genotype prevalence and genotype-specific risk of precancer by race., (© 2020 American Cancer Society.)

Background: Understanding how behaviour change techniques (BCTs) operate in practice requires a method for characterizing the reciprocal, dynamic, and real-time nature of behavioural support interactions between practitioners and clients. State space grids (SSGs) are an observational, dynamic systems methodology used to map the trajectory of dyadic interactions in real time. By mapping the flow of events in terms of practitioner and client actions, SSGs are potentially well suited to characterize behavioural support sessions., Purpose: To develop reliable methods and examine the feasibility of using the SSG methodology for characterizing practitioners' delivery of and clients' response to BCTs in smoking cessation behavioural support sessions., Methods: Smoking cessation behavioural support sessions were video-recorded and transcribed verbatim (n = 6 recordings; 2,916 statements). All speech was coded independently by two researchers for content and duration using published frameworks for specifying practitioner-delivered and client-received BCTs in smoking cessation interactions. Inter-rater reliability was assessed. Indices of practitioner-client interaction dynamics were derived: (1) reciprocity (i.e., attractor states, content congruence, conditional pairing) and (2) temporal patterning (i.e., variability, inter-grid distance, combinatory micro-patterning, sessional macropatterning). The extent to which indices can describe differences between sessions involving different practitioners and clients was examined., Results: Inter-rater reliability was moderate at 72% agreement. Indices of reciprocity and temporal patterning characterized differences between sessions involving different practitioners and clients., Conclusions: State space grids provide a method for characterizing the complexity and variability of practitioner-delivered and client-received BCTs in behavioural support sessions. This method has potential to add explanatory value to smoking cessation intervention outcomes. Statement of Contribution What is already known on this subject? Frameworks exist for characterizing practitioner-delivered and client-received behaviour change techniques (BCTs). Methods are still needed to investigate which BCTs are effective under what conditions. State space grids (SSGs) are a dynamic systems method that may better characterize behavioural support interactions. What does this study add? First reliable, dynamic systems, SSG coding procedures, methods, and measures to characterize behavioural support. A method for examining reciprocality and temporal patterning of BCT delivery and receipt. Establishes a dynamic systems method that adds explanatory value to the outcomes of interventions., (© 2018 The British Psychological Society.)

Twenty-three university students completed a simulated slot machine task involving the concurrent presentation of two slot machines that were varied both in win density and the inclusion of a bonus round feature to evaluate the effect of embedded bonus rounds on participant response allocation. The results suggest that participants allocated a greater percentage of responses to machines with embedded bonus rounds across both dense (Bonus: M = 68.4, SD = 19.2; No Bonus: M = 51.2; 9.6) and lean (Bonus: M = 48.8, SD = 9.6; No Bonus: M = 31.6, SD = 19.2) reinforcement schedules, in which the overall reinforcement rate across all machines was held constant., (© 2016 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.)