407 research outputs found
Characterization of the Mitochondrial DNA Control Region of the Wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri, from the northcentral Gulf of Mexico and Bimini, Mexico
Models based on the Mitscherlich equation for describing typical and atypical gas production profiles obtained from in vitro digestibility studies using equine faecal inoculum
Two models are proposed to describe atypical biphasic gas production profiles obtained from in vitro digestibility studies. The models are extensions of the standard Mitscherlich equation, comprising either two Mitscherlich terms or one Mitscherlich and one linear term. Two models that describe typical monophasic gas production curves, the standard Mitscherlich and the France model [a generalised Mitscherlich (root-t) equation], were assessed for comparison. Models were fitted to 25 gas production profiles resulting from incubating feedstuffs with faecal inocula from equines. Seventeen profiles displayed atypical biphasic patterns while the other eight displayed typical monophasic patterns. Models were evaluated using statistical measures of goodness-of-fit and by analysis of residuals. Good agreement was found between observed atypical profiles values and fitted values obtained with the two biphasic models, and both can revert to a simple Mitscherlich allowing them to describe typical monophasic profiles. The models contain kinetic fermentation parameters that can be used in conjunction with substrate degradability information and digesta passage rate to calculate extent of substrate degradation in the rumen or hindgut. Thus, models link the in vitro gas production technique to nutrient supply in the animal by providing information relating to digestion and nutritive value of feedstuffs
Illustrating potential efficiency gains from using cost-effectiveness evidence to reallocate Medicare expenditures
This article is available open access through the publisher’s website at the linke below. Copyright @ 2013, International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and
Outcomes Research (ISPOR).This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Objectives - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services does not explicitly use cost-effectiveness information in national coverage determinations. The objective of this study was to illustrate potential efficiency gains from reallocating Medicare expenditures by using cost-effectiveness information, and the consequences for health gains among Medicare beneficiaries.
Methods - We included national coverage determinations from 1999 through 2007. Estimates of cost-effectiveness were identified through a literature review. For coverage decisions with an associated cost-effectiveness estimate, we estimated utilization and size of the “unserved” eligible population by using a Medicare claims database (2007) and diagnostic and reimbursement codes. Technology costs originated from the cost-effectiveness literature or were estimated by using reimbursement codes. We illustrated potential aggregate health gains from increasing utilization of dominant interventions (i.e., cost saving and health increasing) and from reallocating expenditures by decreasing investment in cost-ineffective interventions and increasing investment in relatively cost-effective interventions.
Results - Complete information was available for 36 interventions. Increasing investment in dominant interventions alone led to an increase of 270,000 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and savings of $12.9 billion. Reallocation of a broader array of interventions yielded an additional 1.8 million QALYs, approximately 0.17 QALYs per affected Medicare beneficiary. Compared with the distribution of resources prior to reallocation, following reallocation a greater proportion was directed to oncology, diagnostic imaging/tests, and the most prevalent diseases. A smaller proportion of resources went to cardiology, treatments (including drugs, surgeries, and medical devices, as opposed to nontreatments such as preventive services), and the least prevalent diseases.
Conclusions - Using cost-effectiveness information has the potential to increase the aggregate health of Medicare beneficiaries while maintaining existing spending levels.The Commonwealth Fun
An illustrative analysis of atypical gas production profiles obtained from in vitro digestibility studies using fecal inoculum
14 páginas, 2 tablas, 6 figuras.Gas production profiles typically show a monotonically increasing monophasic pattern.
However, atypical gas production profiles exist whereby at least two consecutive phases of gas
production or additional extraneous features that distort the typical profile are present. Such profiles are more likely to occur with the use of a fecal inoculum and are much less well described.
The presence of multiple phases or non-descript extraneous features makes it difficult to apply
directly recommended modeling approaches such as standard response functions or classical growth
functions. To overcome such difficulties, extensions of the Mitscherlich equation and a numerical
modeling option also based on the Mitscherlich are explored. The numerical modeling option uses
an estimate of relative rate obtained from the smoothed data profile and an estimate of maximum
gas produced together with any lag time information drawn from the raw data to construct a simple
Mitscherlich equation. In summary, this article illustrates the analysis of atypical gas production
profiles obtained using a fecal inoculum and explores the methodology of numerical modeling to
reconstruct equivalent typical growth-like trends.This research was funded in part by The Canada Research Chairs program, grant number
045867 (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Ottawa)
Heroes and villains of world history across cultures
© 2015 Hanke et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are creditedEmergent properties of global political culture were examined using data from the World History Survey (WHS) involving 6,902 university students in 37 countries evaluating 40 figures from world history. Multidimensional scaling and factor analysis techniques found only limited forms of universality in evaluations across Western, Catholic/Orthodox, Muslim, and Asian country clusters. The highest consensus across cultures involved scientific innovators, with Einstein having the most positive evaluation overall. Peaceful humanitarians like Mother Theresa and Gandhi followed. There was much less cross-cultural consistency in the evaluation of negative figures, led by Hitler, Osama bin Laden, and Saddam Hussein. After more traditional empirical methods (e.g., factor analysis) failed to identify meaningful cross-cultural patterns, Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was used to identify four global representational profiles: Secular and Religious Idealists were overwhelmingly prevalent in Christian countries, and Political Realists were common in Muslim and Asian countries. We discuss possible consequences and interpretations of these different representational profiles.This research was supported by grant RG016-P-10 from the Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange (http://www.cckf.org.tw/).
Religion
Culture
Entropy
China
Democracy
Economic histor
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A high-resolution map of human evolutionary constraint using 29 mammals.
The comparison of related genomes has emerged as a powerful lens for genome interpretation. Here we report the sequencing and comparative analysis of 29 eutherian genomes. We confirm that at least 5.5% of the human genome has undergone purifying selection, and locate constrained elements covering ∼4.2% of the genome. We use evolutionary signatures and comparisons with experimental data sets to suggest candidate functions for ∼60% of constrained bases. These elements reveal a small number of new coding exons, candidate stop codon readthrough events and over 10,000 regions of overlapping synonymous constraint within protein-coding exons. We find 220 candidate RNA structural families, and nearly a million elements overlapping potential promoter, enhancer and insulator regions. We report specific amino acid residues that have undergone positive selection, 280,000 non-coding elements exapted from mobile elements and more than 1,000 primate- and human-accelerated elements. Overlap with disease-associated variants indicates that our findings will be relevant for studies of human biology, health and disease
Science opportunities with solar sailing smallsats
Recently, we witnessed how the synergy of small satellite technology and
solar sailing propulsion enables new missions. Together, small satellites with
lightweight instruments and solar sails offer affordable access to deep regions
of the solar system, also making it possible to realize hard-to-reach
trajectories that are not constrained to the ecliptic plane. Combining these
two technologies can drastically reduce travel times within the solar system,
while delivering robust science. With solar sailing propulsion capable of
reaching the velocities of ~5-10 AU/yr, missions using a rideshare launch may
reach the Jovian system in two years, Saturn in three. The same technologies
could allow reaching solar polar orbits in less than two years. Fast,
cost-effective, and maneuverable sailcraft that may travel outside the ecliptic
plane open new opportunities for affordable solar system exploration, with
great promise for heliophysics, planetary science, and astrophysics. Such
missions could be modularized to reach different destinations with different
sets of instruments. Benefiting from this progress, we present the "Sundiver"
concept, offering novel possibilities for the science community. We discuss
some of the key technologies, the current design of the Sundiver sailcraft
vehicle and innovative instruments, along with unique science opportunities
that these technologies enable, especially as this exploration paradigm
evolves. We formulate policy recommendations to allow national space agencies,
industry, and other stakeholders to establish a strong scientific,
programmatic, and commercial focus, enrich and deepen the space enterprise and
broaden its advocacy base by including the Sundiver paradigm as a part of
broader space exploration efforts.Comment: 34 pages, 12 figures, 2 table
Trends in Body Mass Index among Icelandic Adolescents and Young Adults from 1992 to 2007
Trends in body mass index (BMI) among 51,889 14- to 20-year-old Icelandic adolescents and young adults were examined using data from cross-sectional population surveys conducted from 1992 to 2007. Prevalence of overweight increased for both genders in all age groups, except for 14- and 20-year-old girls. Obesity prevalence increased among boys in all age groups, except for 16-year-olds, and among 15- and 20-year-old girls. The largest increase in obesity rates among both genders was found in the oldest age group. Moreover, not only has the prevalence of obesity increased, but also the extent of obesity has grown more severe among 15- and 17-year-olds boys and among girls in the oldest age group
An integrated ultrasound curriculum (iUSC) for medical students: 4-year experience
A review of the development and implementation of a 4-year medical student integrated ultrasound curriculum is presented. Multiple teaching and assessment modalities are discussed as well as results from testing and student surveys. Lessons learned while establishing the curriculum are summarized. It is concluded that ultrasound is a well received, valuable teaching tool across all 4 years of medical school, and students learn ultrasound well, and they feel their ultrasound experience enhances their medical education
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