The effects of photoperiod and melatonin injections on the reproductive system of pinealectomized male mice Mus musculus, ICR strain

One hundred two male mice , Mus musculus, ICR strain, age four weeks, were obtained. Fifty-one mice were pinealectomized and 51 were sham operated. The animals were divided into three photoperiod groups: 1.5L:22.5D, 14L:10D, 24L; 0D. The mice were subcutaneously injected daily with 10 ug melatonin or control solution from post-operative day J to post-operative day 60, On post-operative day 60 representatives of each photo­ period-surgery-injection regimen were paired with females. The remaining animals were killed and several organs were removed and weighed, Melatonin injections were progonadal in pinealectomized mice and inhibitory in sham mice in several instances. Histological examination of testis sections indicated normal spermatogenesis and the presence of mature sperm, A reproductive study indicated that all mice were capable of siring offspring irrespective of treatment. Doubt is cast on the significance of the pineal to the reproductive competence of male laboratory mice

Death and obituary of Col. John H. Earnest

Col. John H. Earnest of Glade Spring, Virginia, died Tuesday March 3, 1868 after a tragic accident at home.https://egrove.olemiss.edu/ciwar_clip/1037/thumbnail.jp

Liquid-phase mass transfer at low flow rates in a packed column

Liquid-phase mass transfer in a packed bed was investigated for flow conditions for which the effect of neglecting axial transfer in the prediction of concentration distributions would most likely be significant. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to obtain experimental concentration data suitable for comparison with future theoretical studies, and 2) to analyze these data in terms of calculated effective axial and radial diffusivities and Peclet numbers

Evaluating the effect of neighbourhood weight matrices on smoothing properties of Conditional Autoregressive (CAR) models

Background The Conditional Autoregressive (CAR) model is widely used in many small-area ecological studies to analyse outcomes measured at an areal level. There has been little evaluation of the influence of different neighbourhood weight matrix structures on the amount of smoothing performed by the CAR model. We examined this issue in detail. Methods We created several neighbourhood weight matrices and applied them to a large dataset of births and birth defects in New South Wales (NSW), Australia within 198 Statistical Local Areas. Between the years 1995–2003, there were 17,595 geocoded birth defects and 770,638 geocoded birth records with available data. Spatio-temporal models were developed with data from 1995–2000 and their fit evaluated within the following time period: 2001–2003. Results We were able to create four adjacency-based weight matrices, seven distance-based weight matrices and one matrix based on similarity in terms of a key covariate (i.e. maternal age). In terms of agreement between observed and predicted relative risks, categorised in epidemiologically relevant groups, generally the distance-based matrices performed better than the adjacency-based neighbourhoods. In terms of recovering the underlying risk structure, the weight-7 model (smoothing by maternal-age 'Covariate model') was able to correctly classify 35/47 high-risk areas (sensitivity 74%) with a specificity of 47%, and the 'Gravity' model had sensitivity and specificity values of 74% and 39% respectively. Conclusion We found considerable differences in the smoothing properties of the CAR model, depending on the type of neighbours specified. This in turn had an effect on the models' ability to recover the observed risk in an area. Prior to risk mapping or ecological modelling, an exploratory analysis of the neighbourhood weight matrix to guide the choice of a suitable weight matrix is recommended. Alternatively, the weight matrix can be chosen a priori based on decision-theoretic considerations including loss, cost and inferential aims

Cylindrical surface profile and diameter measuring tool and method

A tool is shown having a cross beam assembly made of beams joined by a center box structure. The assembly is adapted to be mounted by brackets to the outer end of a cylindrical case. The center box structure has a vertical shaft rotatably mounted therein and extending beneath the assembly. Secured to the vertical shaft is a radius arm which is adapted to rotate with the shaft. On the longer end of the radius arm is a measuring tip which contacts the cylindrical surface to be measured and which provides an electric signal representing the radius of the cylindrical surface from the center of rotation of the radius arm. An electric servomotor rotates the vertical shaft and an electronic resolver provides an electric signal representing the angle of rotation of the shaft. The electric signals are provided to a computer station which has software for its computer to calculate and print out the continuous circumference profile of the cylindrical surface, and give its true diameter and the deviations from the ideal circle

Use of CO2 Concentration Difference or CO2 Balance to Assess Ventilation Rate of Broiler Houses

Ventilation rate (VR) is one of the two key elements for quantifying aerial emissions from animal production facilities. Direct, continuous measurement of building VR can be challenging and impractical under certain circumstances, e.g., naturally ventilated animal housing or a large number of ventilation fans in the building. This study examined the suitability of estimating VR of broiler houses with built-up litter (mixture of manure and bedding), when supplemental heating was not in use, through either carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) balance or the relationship of VR to CO 2 concentration difference between exhaust and inlet air. The reference VR was based on direct measurement by continuously monitoring operation of the in-situ calibrated exhaust fans. The comparative analysis of the direct method vs. each indirect method was conducted for a measurement integration time (MIT) of 10, 30, 60, or 120 min. The analyses revealed that MIT of 30 min or greater resulted in non-significant differences in VR between the indirect and direct methods. The broiler building VR (m 3 s -1 ) may be related to the exhaust-inlet CO 2 concentration difference ( ? CO 2 , ppm) as VR ( ± 3.0) = 4456 ( ± 41) ? CO 2 -0.786 ( ± 0.019) at 30 min MIT. The VR may also be determined by the CO2 balance method (including litter CO2 generation) with a correction factor of 0.97 at MIT of 30 to 120 min. If litter CO2 generation is omitted from the total building CO2 production, the actual VR may be estimated by applying a correction factor of 1.077 to the bird respiration CO2 balance VR.. Hence, the CO2 balance or concentration difference method offers a viable alternative or supplemental check for quantifying building VR under certain conditions where direct, continuous VR measurement is not feasible

Work life of persons with asthma, rhinitis, and COPD: A study using a national, population-based sample

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the duration of work life among persons reporting a physician's diagnosis of COPD, asthma, or rhinitis compared to those with select non-respiratory conditions or none and to delineate the factors associated with continuance of employment. METHODS: Persons ages 55 to 75 reporting a physician's diagnosis of COPD, asthma, or rhinitis as well as those without any of these conditions were identified by random-digit dialing (RDD) in the continental U.S and administered a structured survey. We used Kaplan-Meier life table analysis to estimate the duration of work life among persons with and without the three conditions and Cox proportional hazard regression to examine the role of demographic and work characteristics in the proportion leaving employment in each time interval. RESULTS: Persons with COPD, asthma, and rhinitis were no less likely than the remainder of the population to have ever worked, but those with COPD were less likely to be working when interviewed or as of age 65, whichever came first. As of age 55, only 62 percent of persons with COPD continued to work versus 72 and 78 percent of persons with asthma and rhinitis, respectively. Persons with COPD, asthma, and rhinitis all had an elevated risk of leaving work prior to age 65 relative to those without chronic conditions, with and without adjustment for demographic and work characteristics. CONCLUSION: COPD and to a lesser extent asthma and rhinitis were associated with a substantially shortened work life, an effect not due to demographic and work characteristics

Image Processing and Artificial Intelligence for Detection and Interpretation of Ultrasonic Test Signals

Detection of flaws is an important industrial concern. For example, aircraft and nuclear-power reactor owners and regulatory authorities need effective means of detecting flaws that could pose a threat to public safety. Operators of costly equipment require information on service-induced flaws to be able to make run-or-retire decisions. As the cost of parts and concerns for public safety increase, the importance of flaw detection and size estimation has likewise escalated