Factors Affecting U.S. Sorghum Yields

AN ABSTRACT OF THE RESEARCH PAPER OF Curtis Ramsey, for the Master of Science degree in Agribusiness Economics, presented on May 2nd, 2018 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: FACTORS AFFECTING U.S. SORGHUM YIELDS MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Dwight R. Sanders Sorghum productivity is an interesting topic in U.S. agriculture. Sorghum continues to grow as an export for the U.S., but its’ overall production is decreasing yearly. However, the average yield per acre of sorghum is on the rise. The various uses for sorghum make it an essential grain worldwide and in the U.S. The research acquired for this analysis is used to see exactly how influential weather variables are on sorghum yields. U.S. precipitation and climate conditions during the sorghum growing season will be key variables measured in the study, and the tests ran for this study will show what level of significance weather variables play on the decrease in U.S. sorghum production. Specifically, the average temperature of the northern and southern plains from May through September, and the average precipitation for the northern and southern plains are the independent variables used in the regression. Also, a secondary test on silage sorghum will be ran to see if it experiences the same effects as grain sorghum. The weather data was obtained by regional grouping of the major sorghum growing states along the sorghum belt from South Dakota down to southern Texas. A multiple regression analysis will be used to help exploit the elements of production that are most influential for the sinking sorghum production. Also, this study involves tests to see if there were any indirect effects from the price per bushel for sorghum and its’ competing crops, such as soybeans, wheat, and corn. Lastly, this paper addresses issues with separate tests in order to help provide a specific analysis on how to improve the study and improve sorghum production

Determination of the Quadrupole Coupling Constant in the N^{14} Atomic Ground State

The zero-field hyperfine frequencies in the ground state of atomic N14 have been measured in a hydrogen maser with sufficient accuracy to resolve the quadrupole coupling constant B. The result is B=+1.32±0.20 Hz.Molecular and Cellular Biolog

Antiphospholipid autoantibodies as blood biomarkers for detection of early stage Alzheimer's disease

A robust blood biomarker is urgently needed to facilitate early prognosis for those at risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Redox reactive autoantibodies (R-RAAs) represent a novel family of antibodies detectable only after exposure of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), serum, plasma or immunoglobulin fractions to oxidizing agents. We have previously reported that R-RAA antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) are significantly decreased in the CSF and serum of AD patients compared to healthy controls (HCs). These studies were extended to measure R-RAA aPL in serum samples obtained from Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Serum samples from the ADNI-1 diagnostic groups from participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), AD and HCs were blinded for diagnosis and analyzed for R-RAA aPL by ELISA. Demographics, cognitive data at baseline and yearly follow-up were subsequently provided by ADNI after posting assay data. As observed in CSF, R-RAA aPL in sera from the AD diagnostic group were significantly reduced compared to HC. However, the sera from the MCI population contained significantly elevated R-RAA aPL activity relative to AD patient and/or HC sera. The data presented in this study indicate that R-RAA aPL show promise as a blood biomarker for detection of early AD, and warrant replication in a larger sample. Longitudinal testing of an individual for increases in R-RAA aPL over a previously established baseline may serve as a useful early sero-epidemiologic blood biomarker for individuals at risk for developing dementia of the Alzheimer's type

‘Music is my AK-47’: performing resistance in Belfast's rebel music scene

This article examines how some Irish republicans have used ‘rebel songs’ as a means to resist the hegemonic power of the British state, and how militant republicanism is invoked musically, through sonic and physical references to gunfire. It explores how the use of rebel songs has changed, the inherent tensions within today's scene, and how republicans attempt to co‐opt other conflicts as a means to strengthen their claim as resistance fighters. The article also analyses more nuanced resistances within the rebel music scene, exploring how competing republican factions use the same music to express opposing political positions, and why some musicians ultimately leave the scene on account of the musical and political restrictions placed upon them. In so doing, the article connects with ongoing attempts to rethink, remap, and develop new approaches to resistance within anthropology, while contributing to the developing subfield of ‘ethnomusicology in times of trouble’

The First Extrasolar Planet Discovered with a New Generation High Throughput Doppler Instrument

We report the detection of the first extrasolar planet, ET-1 (HD 102195b), using the Exoplanet Tracker (ET), a new generation Doppler instrument. The planet orbits HD 102195, a young star with solar metallicity that may be part of the local association. The planet imparts radial velocity variability to the star with a semiamplitude of $63.4\pm2.0$ m s$^{-1}$ and a period of 4.11 days. The planetary minimum mass ($m \sin i$) is $0.488\pm0.015$ $M_J$.Comment: 42 pages, 11 figures and 5 tables, Accepted for publication in Ap

Randomized controlled trial of rituximab and cost-effectiveness analysis in treating fatigue and oral dryness in primary Sjögren's Syndrome

Objective To investigate whether rituximab, an anti–B cell therapy, improves symptoms of fatigue and oral dryness in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Methods We conducted a multicenter, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel‐group trial that included health economic analysis. Anti‐Ro–positive patients with primary SS, symptomatic fatigue, and oral dryness were recruited from 25 UK rheumatology clinics from August 2011 to January 2014. Patients were centrally randomized to receive either intravenous (IV) placebo (250 ml saline) or IV rituximab (1,000 mg in 250 ml saline) in 2 courses at weeks 0, 2, 24, and 26, with pre‐ and postinfusion medication including corticosteroids. The primary end point was the proportion of patients achieving a 30% reduction in either fatigue or oral dryness at 48 weeks, as measured by visual analog scale. Other outcome measures included salivary and lacrimal flow rates, quality of life, scores on the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Sjögren's Syndrome Patient Reported Index and EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index, symptoms of ocular and overall dryness, pain, globally assessed disease activity, and cost‐effectiveness. Results All 133 patients who were randomized to receive placebo (n = 66) or rituximab (n = 67) were included in the primary analysis. Among patients with complete data, 21 of 56 placebo‐treated patients and 24 of 61 rituximab‐treated patients achieved the primary end point. After multiple imputation of missing outcomes, response rates in the placebo and rituximab groups were 36.8% and 39.8%, respectively (adjusted odds ratio 1.13 [95% confidence interval 0.50, 2.55]). There were no significant improvements in any outcome measure except for unstimulated salivary flow. The mean ± SD costs per patient for rituximab and placebo were £10,752 ± 264.75 and £2,672 ± 241.71, respectively. There were slightly more adverse events (AEs) reported in total for rituximab, but there was no difference in serious AEs (10 in each group). Conclusion The results of this study indicate that rituximab is neither clinically effective nor cost‐effective in this patient population

Muses

Utah State University\u27s music therapy students present a concert on Muses.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/music_programs/1138/thumbnail.jp