Automatic Personalization of User Interfaces based on User Interaction Analytics

The default user interface (UI) of software applications is the same for all users, even though users differ in terms of their needs and preferences for using the software. UI customization is typically limited to the most advanced and/or highly active users. As a result, a significant proportion of users of a software do not reap the benefits of having a UI that is personalized to them. This disclosure describes techniques to determine and present a personalized UI to each user or an application, with the user’s permission. UI personalization is performed based on analytics of user-permitted data of user interaction and other relevant information. The analysis can be performed by a suitably trained machine learning model which outputs the optimal personalized UI for each user. Model training and execution is performed on the user device, and if the user permits, on a server that trains the model based on aggregated, non-identifiable user data

Yearling bulls have reduced sperm concentration and increased seminal plasma interleukin-8 after a 28-day breeding season

We hypothesized that yearling bulls selected for a 28-d breeding season would have reduced sperm concentrations and morphology, and have increased seminal plasma concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8). Yearling bulls were selected based on a breeding soundness examination (BSE) at approximately 415 d of age and contained at least 750 million sperm in the ejaculate, with 12 bulls randomly selected for breeding (BREEDERS) and 12 bulls not selected for breeding (NON-BREEDERS). After a 28-d breeding period, all bulls underwent a BSE. Plasma and seminal plasma were collected at each time point for analysis. Data were analysed utilizing either the MIXED or GLIMMIX procedures with repeated measures in SAS with breeding group, age and the interaction as fixed effects. Sperm concentration per ml of ejaculate was reduced (p \u3c .05) in yearling bulls used for breeding compared with those not used for breeding at the end of the breeding season. Seminal plasma IL-8 concentrations in yearling bulls used for breeding were increased (p \u3c .05) after the breeding season compared with bulls not used for breeding. Taken together, yearling bulls selected for a 28-d breeding season have reduced sperm production per ml of an ejaculate and increased inflammatory response in the seminal plasma that can lead to impaired breeding response if they are to be used for more than 30 d of breeding

High Fat Relative to Low Fat Ground Beef Consumption Lowers Blood Pressure and Does Not Negatively Alter Arterial Stiffness

Beef consumption has been stigmatized as an unhealthy dietary choice. However, randomized control trials to support this claim are lacking. PURPOSE: To examine the effect of low-fat (5%) and high-fat (25%) ground beef consumption on blood pressure (BP) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV).METHODS: Twenty-three male subjects (age 40±11 yrs, height 177.4±6.7 cm, weight 97.3±25.0 kg, lean mass 64.5±9.5 kg, fat mass 30.6±19.1 kg) volunteered to participate in this cross-over design study. Each participant completed two, 5-week ground beef interventions in a randomized order with a 4-week washout period in-between. All participants visited the lab four times after an overnight fast. Each visit to the lab consisted of supine BP, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan to assess body composition, and PWV analysis. The PWV recording was assessed on the right carotid and femoral arteries. The distance used for the PWV calculation was 80% of the actual distance between carotid and femoral sites. All PWV measures were completed according to previously published procedures (Van Bortel, 2011). BP and PWV results were analyzed separately via 2x2 repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: Our results indicate there was a significant decrease in systolic BP (p=0.01) following the high-fat ground beef intervention compared to the low-fat. The BP values for low-fat beef and high-fat beef are 120/74 and 116/73 mmHg, respectively. Further, there were no significant differences between the PWV measures. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, high fat ground beef favorably alters systolic BP and does not negatively affect PWV measures

Greater numbers of antral follicles in the ovary are associated with increased concentrations of glucose in uterine luminal fluid of beef heifers

Increased antral follicles are associated with greater fertility and a uterine environment that is more supportive of early embryonic development in beef heifers. Glucose is a primary energy source for embryos, and glucose concentrations are elevated in uterine luminal fluid (ULF) of pregnant heifers. We hypothesized that ULF glucose concentrations and endometrial transcript abundance for glucose transporters on d16 after insemination would be greater in heifers with increased numbers of antral follicles. Heifers classified with either increased or diminished antral follicle counts were artificially inseminated following the CO-Synch protocol (d0). On d16 after insemination, reproductive tracts of heifers were collected at an abattoir to retrieve conceptuses to determine pregnancy. Uterine luminal fluid was collected, endometrium was biopsied, total RNA was extracted and glucose transporter transcript abundances were determined. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS with antral follicle group, pregnancy status, and the interaction as fixed effects. Glucose concentrations in ULF were greater in heifers with increased antral follicle numbers. Glucose ULF concentrations increased in pregnant heifers. Facilitated glucose transporter member 1 (SLC2A1) transcript abundance was increased in the endometrium of pregnant heifers but was not different due to antral follicle number or the interaction. Differences in uterine concentrations of glucose associated with antral follicle number could be due to another mechanism, since glucose transporters were not different between antral follicle numbers. Therefore, heifers with increased number of antral follicles have increased energy availability in the uterus to support trophoblast proliferation and function

Fetal Hepatic Lipidome Is More Greatly Affected by Maternal Rate of Gain Compared with Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation at day 83 of Gestation

Herein, we evaluated the hepatic lipid metabolic profiles of bovine fetuses in response to maternal vitamin and mineral supplementation (VMSUP; supplemented (VTM) or not (NoVTM)) and two different rates of gain (GAIN; low gain (LG), 0.28 kg/d, or moderate gain (MG), 0.79 kg/d). Crossbred Angus heifers (n = 35; initial BW = 359.5 ± 7.1 kg) were randomly assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, resulting in the following treatment combinations: NoVTM-LG (n = 9), NoVTM-MG (n = 9), VTM-LG (n = 9), and VTM-MG (n = 8). Heifers received their treatments until d 83 of gestation, when they were ovariohysterectomized. Fetuses were harvested and liver samples were analyzed via ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectroscopy to characterize lipid profiles and abundances. We identified 374 biochemicals/metabolites belonging to 57 sub-pathways of the lipid metabolism super-pathway. The majority of the biochemicals/metabolites (n = 152) were significantly affected by the main effect of GAIN. Maternal moderate rates of gain resulted in greater abundances (p ≤ 0.0001) of ω-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoate, docosapentaenoate, and docosahexaenoate) and lower abundances (p ≤ 0.0001) of ω-6 fatty acids. Further, MG resulted in the accumulation of several diacylglycerols and depletion of the majority of the monoacylglycerols. Concentrations of nearly all acylcarnitines (p ≤ 0.03) were decreased in VTM-LG fetal livers compared to all other treatment combinations, indicating a greater rate of complete oxidation of fatty acids. Levels of secondary bile acids were impacted by VMSUP, being greater (p ≤ 0.0048) in NoVTM than in VTM fetal livers. Moreover, NoVTM combined with lower rate of gain resulted in greater concentrations of most secondary bile acid biochemicals/metabolites. These data indicate that maternal diet influenced and altered fetal hepatic lipid composition in the first trimester of gestation. Maternal body weight gain exerted a greater influence on fetal lipid profiles than vitamin and mineral supplementation. Specifically, lower rate of gain (0.28 kg/d) resulted in an increased abundance of the majority of the biochemicals/metabolites identified in this study

Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation and Rate of Weight Gain during the First Trimester of Gestation in Beef Heifers Alters the Fetal Liver Amino Acid, Carbohydrate, and Energy Profile at Day 83 of Gestation

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding heifers a vitamin and mineral supplement and targeting divergent rates of weight gain during early gestation on the fetal liver amino acid, carbohydrate, and energy profile at d 83 of gestation. Seventy-two crossbred Angus heifers were randomly assigned in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement to one of four treatments comprising the main effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation (VTM or NOVTM) and feeding to achieve different rates of weight gain (low gain [LG] 0.28 kg/day vs. moderate gain [MG] 0.79 kg/day). Thirty-five gestating heifers with female fetuses were ovariohysterectomized on d 83 of gestation and fetal liver was collected and analyzed by reverse phase UPLC-tandem mass spectrometry with positive and negative ion mode electrospray ionization, as well as by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography UPLC-MS/MS with negative ion mode ESI for compounds of known identity. The Glycine, Serine, and Threonine metabolism pathway and the Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine metabolism pathway had a greater total metabolite abundance in the liver of the NOVTM-LG group and least in the VTM-LG group (p \u3c 0.01). Finally, both the TCA Cycle and Oxidative Phosphorylation pathways within the Energy Metabolism superpathway were differentially affected by the main effect of VTM, where the TCA cycle metabolites were greater (p = 0.04) in the NOVTM fetal livers and the Oxidative Phosphorylation biochemicals were greater (p = 0.02) in the fetal livers of the VTM supplemented heifers. These data demonstrate that the majority of metabolites that are affected by rate of weight gain or vitamin/mineral supplementation are decreased in heifers on a greater rate of weight gain or vitamin/mineral supplementation

Common carotid intima media thickness and ankle-brachial pressure index correlate with local but not global atheroma burden:a cross sectional study using whole body magnetic resonance angiography

Common carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) are used as surrogate marker of atherosclerosis, and have been shown to correlate with arterial stiffness, however their correlation with global atherosclerotic burden has not been previously assessed. We compare CIMT and ABPI with atheroma burden as measured by whole body magnetic resonance angiography (WB-MRA).50 patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease were recruited. CIMT was measured using ultrasound while rest and exercise ABPI were performed. WB-MRA was performed in a 1.5T MRI scanner using 4 volume acquisitions with a divided dose of intravenous gadolinium gadoterate meglumine (Dotarem, Guerbet, FR). The WB-MRA data was divided into 31 anatomical arterial segments with each scored according to degree of luminal narrowing: 0 = normal, 1 = <50%, 2 = 50-70%, 3 = 70-99%, 4 = vessel occlusion. The segment scores were summed and from this a standardized atheroma score was calculated.The atherosclerotic burden was high with a standardised atheroma score of 39.5±11. Common CIMT showed a positive correlation with the whole body atheroma score (β 0.32, p = 0.045), however this was due to its strong correlation with the neck and thoracic segments (β 0.42 p = 0.01) with no correlation with the rest of the body. ABPI correlated with the whole body atheroma score (β -0.39, p = 0.012), which was due to a strong correlation with the ilio-femoral vessels with no correlation with the thoracic or neck vessels. On multiple linear regression, no correlation between CIMT and global atheroma burden was present (β 0.13 p = 0.45), while the correlation between ABPI and atheroma burden persisted (β -0.45 p = 0.005).ABPI but not CIMT correlates with global atheroma burden as measured by whole body contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography in a population with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease. However this is primarily due to a strong correlation with ilio-femoral atheroma burden

The Fire and Tree Mortality Database, for Empirical Modeling of Individual Tree Mortality After Fire

Wildland fires have a multitude of ecological effects in forests, woodlands, and savannas across the globe. A major focus of past research has been on tree mortality from fire, as trees provide a vast range of biological services. We assembled a database of individual-tree records from prescribed fires and wildfires in the United States. The Fire and Tree Mortality (FTM) database includes records from 164,293 individual trees with records of fire injury (crown scorch, bole char, etc.), tree diameter, and either mortality or top-kill up to ten years post-fire. Data span 142 species and 62 genera, from 409 fires occurring from 1981-2016. Additional variables such as insect attack are included when available. The FTM database can be used to evaluate individual fire-caused mortality models for pre-fire planning and post-fire decision support, to develop improved models, and to explore general patterns of individual fire-induced tree death. The database can also be used to identify knowledge gaps that could be addressed in future research

Using Satellite Tracking to Optimize Protection of Long-Lived Marine Species: Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Conservation in Central Africa

Tractable conservation measures for long-lived species require the intersection between protection of biologically relevant life history stages and a socioeconomically feasible setting. To protect breeding adults, we require knowledge of animal movements, how movement relates to political boundaries, and our confidence in spatial analyses of movement. We used satellite tracking and a switching state-space model to determine the internesting movements of olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) (n = 18) in Central Africa during two breeding seasons (2007-08, 2008-09). These movements were analyzed in relation to current park boundaries and a proposed transboundary park between Gabon and the Republic of Congo, both created to reduce unintentional bycatch of sea turtles in marine fisheries. We additionally determined confidence intervals surrounding home range calculations. Turtles remained largely within a 30 km radius from the original nesting site before departing for distant foraging grounds. Only 44.6 percent of high-density areas were found within the current park but the proposed transboundary park would incorporate 97.6 percent of high-density areas. Though tagged individuals originated in Gabon, turtles were found in Congolese waters during greater than half of the internesting period (53.7 percent), highlighting the need for international cooperation and offering scientific support for a proposed transboundary park. This is the first comprehensive study on the internesting movements of solitary nesting olive ridley sea turtles, and it suggests the opportunity for tractable conservation measures for female nesting olive ridleys at this and other solitary nesting sites around the world. We draw from our results a framework for cost-effective protection of long-lived species using satellite telemetry as a primary tool