Influence of Grass Species and Sample Preparation on Ensiling Characteristics

Laboratory silos are considered a practical method of comparing a number of treatments (O\u27Kiely, 1993). Cherney et al. (2004) reported that vacuum-sealed polyethylene bags effectively ensiled corn silage samples in the laboratory. Grasses, with their inherently higher buffering capacities and lower sugar levels, generally are more difficult to ensile. Objectives were to evaluate the influence of species and chopping (whole vs. shredded) on pH and volatile fatty acid profile of grasses ensiled in vacuum-sealed polyethylene bags and to assess the suitability of this method as a laboratory ensiling method

Map Based WWW Tool for Recommending Forage Species

Selecting the “best” forage species or species mixture requires a knowledge and understanding of the consuming animal, soil characteristics, and forage species. The multivariate nature of the problem presents challenges to those interested in solving the practical problem of maximizing available resources. Earlier work at Cornell University resulted in a WWW-based interface that allowed the user to provide a soil type or zip code and additional management factors to initiate the species selection. This approach relies on either user knowledge of soil series or an implied relationship between zip code and soil series that may often be wrong. To improve this management tool, we have developed a working WWW-based map interface that allows the user to move to near field-scale where a “click” will link the map location to underlying soil series information (series id, drainage and slope classes). This information is then passed to the decision support component of the system where the species selection process occurs. This map-based approach takes advantage of the inherent spatial nature of the forage selection problem

U(N|M) quantum mechanics on Kaehler manifolds

We study the extended supersymmetric quantum mechanics, with supercharges transforming in the fundamental representation of U(N|M), as realized in certain one-dimensional nonlinear sigma models with Kaehler manifolds as target space. We discuss the symmetry algebra characterizing these models and, using operatorial methods, compute the heat kernel in the limit of short propagation time. These models are relevant for studying the quantum properties of a certain class of higher spin field equations in first quantization.Comment: 21 pages, a reference adde

The Effects of Some External Management Factors on the Nitrogen Composition of Cattle Manure on Smallholder Farms

Smallholder farmers in Kenya collect manure from confined cattle housing termed zero-grazing units. Zero-grazing designs may include urine collection, though the effectiveness of these designs in improving manure N content has not been established. The manure-urine mixtures produced in these units were simulated to determine urine effects on manure N composition. Manure and manure-urine mixtures were stored for 120 days during dry and rainy seasons in Kenya. Manure-urine mixtures leached 26% of their mineral N content during the dry season, but only 12% during the rainy season. After storage, manure-urine mixtures had less organic-N and fiber-N than manure alone during the dry season (<0.01), but not during the rainy season. Results suggest that the effect of cattle urine on manure N composition is greater during dry seasons than rainy. Manure should not be stored more than 30 days to minimize N loss to leaching. Farmers may take steps to reduce N loss by controlling leaching and protecting manure from rainfall

Renal hyperfiltration defined by high estimated glomerular filtration rate:A risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality

Renal hyperfiltration, defined as an increased glomerular filtration rate above normal values, is associated with early phases of kidney disease in the setting of various conditions such as obesity and diabetes. Although it is recognized that glomerular hyperfiltration, that is, increased filtration per nephron unit (usually studied at low glomerular filtration levels and often referred to as single nephron hyperfiltration), is a risk factor for the progression of chronic kidney disease, the implications of having renal hyperfiltration for cardiovascular disease and mortality risk are incompletely understood. Recent evidence from diverse populations, including healthy individuals and patients with diabetes or established cardiovascular disease, suggests that renal hyperfiltration is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. In this review, we critically summarize the existing studies, discuss possible mechanisms, and describe the remaining gaps in our knowledge regarding the association of renal hyperfiltration with cardiovascular disease and mortality risk

Effect of Protein Kinase Cβ Inhibition on Renal Hemodynamic Function and Urinary Biomarkers in Humans With Type 1 Diabetes: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE—The aim of this study was to examine the effect of protein kinase Cβ inhibition with ruboxistaurin on renal hemodynamic function and urinary biomarkers (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 [MCP-1] and epidermal growth factor) in renin angiotensin system blockade-treated type 1 diabetic subjects

The prognosis of allocentric and egocentric neglect : evidence from clinical scans

We contrasted the neuroanatomical substrates of sub-acute and chronic visuospatial deficits associated with different aspects of unilateral neglect using computed tomography scans acquired as part of routine clinical diagnosis. Voxel-wise statistical analyses were conducted on a group of 160 stroke patients scanned at a sub-acute stage. Lesion-deficit relationships were assessed across the whole brain, separately for grey and white matter. We assessed lesions that were associated with behavioural performance (i) at a sub-acute stage (within 3 months of the stroke) and (ii) at a chronic stage (after 9 months post stroke). Allocentric and egocentric neglect symptoms at the sub-acute stage were associated with lesions to dissociated regions within the frontal lobe, amongst other regions. However the frontal lesions were not associated with neglect at the chronic stage. On the other hand, lesions in the angular gyrus were associated with persistent allocentric neglect. In contrast, lesions within the superior temporal gyrus extending into the supramarginal gyrus, as well as lesions within the basal ganglia and insula, were associated with persistent egocentric neglect. Damage within the temporo-parietal junction was associated with both types of neglect at the sub-acute stage and 9 months later. Furthermore, white matter disconnections resulting from damage along the superior longitudinal fasciculus were associated with both types of neglect and critically related to both sub-acute and chronic deficits. Finally, there was a significant difference in the lesion volume between patients who recovered from neglect and patients with chronic deficits. The findings presented provide evidence that (i) the lesion location and lesion size can be used to successfully predict the outcome of neglect based on clinical CT scans, (ii) lesion location alone can serve as a critical predictor for persistent neglect symptoms, (iii) wide spread lesions are associated with neglect symptoms at the sub-acute stage but only some of these are critical for predicting whether neglect will become a chronic disorder and (iv) the severity of behavioural symptoms can be a useful predictor of recovery in the absence of neuroimaging findings on clinical scans. We discuss the implications for understanding the symptoms of the neglect syndrome, the recovery of function and the use of clinical scans to predict outcome

Elliptic flow from two- and four-particle correlations in Au + Au collisions at sqrt{s_{NN}} = 130 GeV

Elliptic flow holds much promise for studying the early-time thermalization attained in ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions. Flow measurements also provide a means of distinguishing between hydrodynamic models and calculations which approach the low density (dilute gas) limit. Among the effects that can complicate the interpretation of elliptic flow measurements are azimuthal correlations that are unrelated to the reaction plane (non-flow correlations). Using data for Au + Au collisions at sqrt{s_{NN}} = 130 GeV from the STAR TPC, it is found that four-particle correlation analyses can reliably separate flow and non-flow correlation signals. The latter account for on average about 15% of the observed second-harmonic azimuthal correlation, with the largest relative contribution for the most peripheral and the most central collisions. The results are also corrected for the effect of flow variations within centrality bins. This effect is negligible for all but the most central bin, where the correction to the elliptic flow is about a factor of two. A simple new method for two-particle flow analysis based on scalar products is described. An analysis based on the distribution of the magnitude of the flow vector is also described.Comment: minor text change

Evaluating the Benefits of Aphasia Intervention Delivered in Virtual Reality: Results of a Quasi-Randomised Study

Introduction This study evaluated an intervention for people with aphasia delivered in a novel virtual reality platform called EVA Park. EVA Park contains a number of functional and fantastic locations and allows for interactive communication between multiple users. Twenty people with aphasia had 5 weeks’ intervention, during which they received daily language stimulation sessions in EVA Park from a support worker. The study employed a quasi randomised design, which compared a group that received immediate intervention with a waitlist control group. Outcome measures explored the effects of intervention on communication and language skills, communicative confidence and feelings of social isolation. Compliance with the intervention was also explored through attrition and usage data. Results There was excellent compliance with the intervention, with no participants lost to follow up and most (18/20) receiving at least 88% of the intended treatment dose. Intervention brought about significant gains on a measure of functional communication. Gains were achieved by both groups of participants, once intervention was received, and were well maintained. Changes on the measures of communicative confidence and feelings of social isolation were not achieved. Results are discussed with reference to previous aphasia therapy findings

Isolation of Flow and Nonflow Correlations by Two- and Four-Particle Cumulant Measurements of Azimuthal Harmonics in sNN=\sqrt{s_{_{\rm NN}}} = 200 GeV Au+Au Collisions

A data-driven method was applied to measurements of Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{\rm NN}}} =$ 200 GeV made with the STAR detector at RHIC to isolate pseudorapidity distance $\Delta\eta$-dependent and $\Delta\eta$-independent correlations by using two- and four-particle azimuthal cumulant measurements. We identified a component of the correlation that is $\Delta\eta$-independent, which is likely dominated by anisotropic flow and flow fluctuations. It was also found to be independent of $\eta$ within the measured range of pseudorapidity $|\eta|<1$. The relative flow fluctuation was found to be $34\% \pm 2\% (stat.) \pm 3\% (sys.)$ for particles of transverse momentum $p_{T}$ less than $2$ GeV/$c$. The $\Delta\eta$-dependent part may be attributed to nonflow correlations, and is found to be $5\% \pm 2\% (sys.)$ relative to the flow of the measured second harmonic cumulant at $|\Delta\eta| > 0.7$