Responding to Agency Avoidance of OIRA

Concerns have recently been raised that US federal agencies may sometimes avoid regulatory review by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). In this article, we assess the seriousness of such potential avoidance, and we recommend a framework for evaluating potential responses. After summarizing the system of presidential regulatory oversight through OIRA review, we analyze the incentives for agencies to cooperate with or avoid OIRA. We identify a wider array of agency avoidance tactics than has past scholarship, and a wider array of corresponding response options available to OIRA, the President, Congress, and the courts. We argue that, because the relationship between agencies and OIRA involves ongoing repeat player interactions, some of these avoidance tactics are less likely to occur (or to succeed) than has previously been alleged, and others are more likely; the difference depends significantly on how easy it is for OIRA to detect avoidance, and for OIRA, the courts, and others to respond. Further, we note that in this repeat player relationship, responses to agency avoidance tactics may induce further strategic moves and countermoves. Thus we further argue that the optimal response may not always be to try to eliminate the avoidance behavior; some avoidance may be worth tolerating where the benefits of trying to reduce agency avoidance would not justify the costs of response options and countermoves. We therefore conclude that responses to agency avoidance should be evaluated in a way similar to what OIRA asks of agencies evaluating proposed regulations: by weighing the pros and cons of alternative response options (including no action)

Fourth-order spin correlation function in the extended central spin model

Spin noise spectroscopy has developed into a very powerful tool to access the electron spin dynamics. While the spin-noise power spectrum in an ensemble of quantum dots in a magnetic field is essentially understood, we argue that the investigation of the higher order cumulants promises to provide additional information not accessible by the conventional power noise spectrum. We present a quantum mechanical approach to the correlation function of the spin-noise power operators at two different frequencies for small spin bath sizes and compare the results with a simulation obtained from the classical spin dynamics for large number of nuclear spins. This bispectrum is defined as a two-dimensional frequency cut in the parameter space of the fourth-order spin correlation function. It reveals information on the influence of the nuclear-electric quadrupolar interactions on the long-time electron spin dynamics dominated by a magnetic field. For large bath sizes and spin lengths the quantum mechanical spectra converge to those of the classical simulations. The broadening of the bispectrum across the diagonal in the frequency space is a direct measure of the quadrupolar interaction strength. A narrowing is found with increasing magnetic field indicating a suppression of the influence of quadrupolar interactions in favor of the nuclear Zeeman effect.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figure

Maternal Responses to Communication of Infants at Low and Heightened Risk for Autism

The current study investigated maternal responses to infant communication among mothers of infants at heightened risk (HR) for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and mothers of infants at low risk (LR) for the disorder at 13 and 18 months. Infants and mothers were observed during naturalistic in-home interactions and semi-structured play. By 18 months, HR infants demonstrated delays in developmentally advanced communicative behaviors (pointing, showing, words) as compared to LR infants. Regarding maternal responses, overall mothers of HR infants responded as frequently as mothers of LR infants. However, our data indicated that from 13 to 18 months, mothers of LR infants increased their responsiveness to non-word vocalizations while mothers of HR infants did not. In addition, mothers of both HR and LR infants were more likely to label the referent of developmentally advanced gestures (pointing/showing) than earlier emerging gestures (giving/requesting). These findings suggest that mothers may provide richer responses to more developmentally advanced communication. Thus, delays in infant gesture and speech could alter the input infants receive leading to potential cascading effects on language development

Alien Registration- Hitchcock, Nina B. (Presque Isle, Aroostook County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/33450/thumbnail.jp

A genome-wide association study reveals specific transferases as candidate loci for bovine milk oligosaccharides synthesis.

BackgroundHuman milk oligosaccharides (OS) play a key role in brain and gut microbiota development of the neonate, but the underlying biosynthetic steps of OS in the mammary gland are still largely unknown. As bovine milk contains OS with somewhat similar structures and functionalities there is increased interest in further understanding the genetic basis underlying the OS content of milk for eventual extraction and generation of value-added ingredients for infant formulas and nutraceuticals. The present study is the first to report on genetic parameter estimation as well as on a genome wide association study (GWAS) from the largest bovine milk OS dataset analyzed to date.ResultsIn total 15 different bovine milk OS were monitored. Heritabilities ranged from 0 to 0.68 in Danish Holstein and from 0 to 0.92 in Danish Jersey. The GWAS identified in total 1770 SNPs (FDR < 0.10) for five different OS in Danish Holstein and 6913 SNPs (FDR < 0.10) for 11 OS in Danish Jersey. In Danish Holstein, a major overlapping QTL was identified on BTA1 for LNH and LNT explaining 24% of the variation in these OS. The most significant SNPs were associated with B3GNT5, a gene encoding a glycosyltransferase involved in glycan synthesis. In Danish Jersey, a very strong QTL was detected for the OS with composition 2 Hex 1 HexNAc (isomer 1) on BTA11. The most significant SNP had -log10(P-value) of 52.88 (BOVINEHD1100030300) and was assigned to ABO, a gene encoding ABO blood group glycosyltransferases. This SNP has been reported to be a missense mutation and explains 56% of the OS variation. Other candidate genes of interest identified for milk OS were ALG3, B3GALNT2, LOC520336, PIGV, MAN1C1, ST6GALNAC6, GLT6D1, GALNT14, GALNT17, COLGALT2, LFNG and SIGLEC.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this is the first study documenting a solid breeding potential for bovine milk OS and a strong indication of specific candidate genes related to OS synthesis underlying this genetic influence. This new information has the potential to guide breeding strategies to achieve production of milk with higher diversity and concentration of OS and ultimately facilitate large-scale extraction of bovine milk OS

The Study Of Production Regimes And Quality Parameters Of Extruded Feed Additive Based On Corn Seed And Substandard Egg Mass

On the base of practical studies were established the rational parameters of technological processes of production of extruded feed additive. There was determined an expedience of mixture of substandard chicken egg mass and the crushed corn seed in two stages in frame (during 18 s) and blade (during 120…180 s) mixers. There were determined the optimal regimes of mixture extruding: pressure in working zone of extruder 2…3 mPa, consumed force of electric motor 4,0…4,5 kW, temperature on outcome of extruder 110…120 ºС, duration of process 60…120 s, diameter of matrix port 10 mm.There were given the results of study of parameters of quality and nutritive value of extruded feed additive. It was established, that in the process of extruding the quality parameters of food additive are improved at the expense of dextrinization and gelatinization of starch, decrease of bacterial and fungal pollution, disinfection of product.There was proved a possibility to solve problem of utilization of defective eggs at feeding poultry

The actual relevance of ecological corridors in nature conservation

The paper considers theoretical and applied foundations of the concept of the ecological corridors in nature conservation. Their relevance comes from recent ecological phenomenon of habitat fragmentation which is rapidly increasing during last decades. Habitat fragmentation is one of the main threats to richness and diversity of wildlife. Ecological corridors can mitigate the loss and fragmentation of habitat. Corridors perform as “bridges” between habitats for species and they provide a flow of the natural or even anthropogenic caused disturbances. In this paper we will present the meaning and significance of ecological corridors in nature conservation, as well as types of ecological corridors and their ecological benefits. Methodological and practical approaches in nature protection system in Serbia are included. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 47007 i br. 176008