Uterine Capacity and Ovulation Rate in Mice Selected 21 Generations on Alternative Criteria to Increase Litter Size

After 21 generations of selection for alternative criteria to change litter size in mice, responses in uterine capacity and ovulation rate were evaluated. Females from Generations 22 and 23 were sampled from 12 lines, representing three replicates of four selection criteria: LS = direct selection on litter size; M = selection on an index of ovulation rate and the proportion of ova shed that resulted in fully formed offspring; UT = selection on uterine capacity measured as litter size from females unilaterally ovariectomized at 4 wk of age; and LC = unselected control. All females in the present evaluation (a total of 1,932) were unilaterally ovariectomized (either left or right ovary excised) at 4 wk, mated at 9 wk, and killed at d 17 of gestation. The number of corpora lutea and number of fetuses were counted to measure ovulation rate and uterine capacity, respectively. Selection in IX, LS, and UT increased ( P \u3c .01) ovulation rate from unilaterally ovariectomized females but by a greater amount ( P \u3c .01) in IX and LS than in UT. Selection also increased (P \u3c . O l ) uterine capacity of IX, LS, and UT (average response relative to LC = 1.76 pups); response was at least as great in LS and IX as in UT. Direct selection in UT was successful at improving uterine capacity but was no more effective than IX or LS selection. Cases in which ovulation rate limited expression of uterine capacity in UT may have shifted some selection emphasis to ovulation rate and reduced response in uterine capacity

Rapid communication: Linkage mapping of the porcine Agouti gene

Genus and Species. Sus scrofa. Locus. Porcine agouti gene. Source and Description of Primers. The forward primer was designed from pig sequence (GenBank accession no. AF018166) and the reverse primer was developed from comparing the homologous regions of mouse and bovine agouti sequences (GenBank accession no. L06451 and X99691, respectively). The primers were used to amplify approximately 1.4 kb of the porcine agouti gene fragment spanning exons 2 and 3. Sequences of the PCR fragment revealed 83% and 89% exonic identities to the corresponding human and bovine agouti nucleotide sequences, respectively. The porcine agouti sequence has been submitted to GenBank, accession no. AF133261

Are We Missing an Opportunity? Prediabetes in the U.S. Military

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of prediabetes is estimated to be one-third of Americans with approximately 80% of these individuals unaware of the diagnosis. In the active duty military population, the prevalence of prediabetes is largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of prediabetes in military service members by quantifying those meeting prediabetes screening criteria, those actually being screened, and those being appropriately diagnosed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were analyzed from calendar years 2014 to 2018 for active duty service members 18 years of age or older. Vitals records were collected to obtain body mass index values. Composite Health Care System laboratory data were queried for hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) results as well as fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results. The percentage of active duty service members meeting criteria for prediabetes screening was determined by totaling members age 45 and older with members age 18- to 44-year old with a body mass index ≥25.0 kg/m2, then dividing by the total number of members for each respective military branch. The percentage of active duty service members actually screened for prediabetes was determined based on members meeting prediabetes screening criteria who in fact had FPG, OGTT, or HbA1c labs. The total number of labs meeting prediabetes criteria was determined based on those aforementioned labs with results in the prediabetes range (FPG between 100 and 125 mg/dL, OGTT between 140 and 199 mg/dL, or HbA1c range of 5.7%-6.4%). The total number of service members with appropriate prediabetes International Classification of Disease (ICD) code was determined by identifying members with ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes 790.21, 790.22, and R73.01-R73.03 in their medical record. RESULTS: From 2014 to 2018, 53.9% of 332,502, 56% of 543,081, and 47.3% of 531,313 active duty service members in the Air Force, Army and Navy, respectively, met criteria for prediabetes screening. The rates of actually screening for prediabetes were similar across the Air Force (4.8%), Army (6.7%), and Navy (5.5%). The percentage with labs meeting prediabetes criteria ranged from 17.9% to 28.4% in the Air Force, 24.2% to 30.3% in the Army, and 24.2% to 30.9% in the Navy. The rate of ICD coding for prediabetes increased from 2014 to 2018 across all branches (29.8%-65.3% for the Air Force, 24.6%-46.8% for the Army, and 40.0%-45.5% for the Navy). CONCLUSION: Screening for prediabetes in the active duty military population is grossly inadequate, and even of those screened, diagnosing those meeting prediabetes criteria is similarly inadequate. Although this scenario is not unique to the Military Health System, but reflective of a larger national problem, efforts should be made within the Military Health System to increase the screening for this common disorder. Identifying service members with prediabetes enables opportunities for targeted interventions to delay or prevent the progression to diabetes mellitus

Search for the rare decay B(0)(s)→μ(+)μ(−)

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.87.072006.We perform a search for the rare decay B(0)(s)→μ(+)μ(−) using data collected by the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. This result is based on the full D0 Run II data set corresponding to 10.4  fb(−1) of pp-bar collisions at s√=1.96  TeV. We use a multivariate analysis to increase the sensitivity of the search. In the absence of an observed number of events above the expected background, we set an upper limit on the decay branching fraction of B(B(0)(s)→μ(+)μ(−))<15×10(−9) (12×10(−9)) at the 95% (90%) C.L

Measurement of direct CP violation parameters in B(±)→J/ψK(±) and B(±)→J/ψπ(±) decays with 10.4 fb(−1) of Tevatron data

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.241801.We present a measurement of the direct CP-violating charge asymmetry in B(±) mesons decaying to J/ψK(±) and J/ψπ(±) where J/ψ decays to μ(+)μ(−), using the full run II data set of 10.4  fb(−1) of proton-antiproton collisions collected using the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. A difference in the yield of B(−) and B(+) mesons in these decays is found by fitting to the difference between their reconstructed invariant mass distributions resulting in asymmetries of A(J/ψK)=[0.59±0.37]%, which is the most precise measurement to date, and A(J/ψπ)=[−4.2±4.5]%. Both measurements are consistent with standard model predictions

Combined search for the Higgs boson with the D0 experiment

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.88.052011

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in ℓν+jets final states in 9.7 fb(−1) of pp-bar collisions with the D0 detector

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.88.052008.We present, in detail, a search for the standard model Higgs boson, H, in final states with a charged lepton (electron or muon), missing energy, and two or more jets in data corresponding to 9.7  fb(−1) of integrated luminosity collected at a center-of-mass energy of s√=1.96  TeV with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron pp-bar Collider. The search uses b-jet identification to categorize events for improved signal versus background separation and is sensitive to associated production of the H with a W boson, WH→ℓνbb-bar; gluon fusion with the Higgs decaying to W-boson pairs, H→WW→ℓνjj; and associated production with a vector boson where the Higgs decays to W-boson pairs, VH→VWW→ℓνjjjj production (where V=W or Z). We observe good agreement between data and expected background. We test our method by measuring WZ and ZZ production with Z→bb-bar and find production rates consistent with the standard model prediction. For a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV, we set a 95% C.L. upper limit on the production of a standard model Higgs boson of 5.8×σSM, where σSM is the standard model Higgs boson production cross section, while the expected limit is 4.7×σ(SM). We also interpret the data considering models with fourth generation fermions, or a fermiophobic Higgs boson

Search for Higgs boson production in trilepton and like-charge electron-muon final states with the D0 detector

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.88.052009.We present a search for Higgs bosons in multilepton final states in pp-bar collisions at s√=1.96  TeV recorded with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider, using the full Run II data set with integrated luminosities of up to 9.7  fb(−1). The multilepton states considered are eeμ, eμμ, μτhτh, and like-charge e(±)μ(±) pairs. These channels directly probe the HVV (V=W, Z) coupling of the Higgs boson in production and decay. The μτ(h)τ(h) channel is also sensitive to H→τ(+)τ(−) decays. Upper limits at the 95% C.L on the rate of standard model Higgs boson production are derived in the mass range 100≤M(H)≤200  GeV. The expected and observed limits are a factor of 6.3 and 8.4 above the predicted standard model cross section at M(H)=125  GeV. We also interpret the data in a fermiophobic Higgs boson model

Combined search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying to bb-bar using the D0 Run II data set

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.121802

Search for the Higgs boson in lepton, tau, and jets final states

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.88.052005.We present a search for the standard model Higgs boson in final states with an electron or muon and a hadronically decaying tau lepton in association with two or more jets using 9.7  fb(−1) of Run II Fermilab Tevatron Collider data collected with the D0 detector. The analysis is sensitive to Higgs boson production via gluon fusion, associated vector boson production, and vector boson fusion, followed by the Higgs boson decay to tau lepton pairs or to W boson pairs. The ratios of 95% C.L. upper limits on the cross section times branching ratio to those predicted by the standard model are obtained for orthogonal subsamples that are enriched in either H→ττ decays or H→WW decays, and for the combination of these subsample limits. The observed and expected limit ratios for the combined subsamples at a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV are 11.3 and 9.0, respectively