Establishing a Cotton-Ginning Cooperative in the Southeast

The producer-members of the proposed Albemarle Cotton Growers Cooperative presently experience costly and dangerous conditions in transporting seed cotton to distant ginning sites. These growers seek to acquire locally a cooperatively owned and operated cotton gin. This study of the proposed venture reports on producer surveys and financial projections, and estimates member benefits and return on investment. This cotton-ginning cooperative may considerably improve the net farm incomes of local producers. The feasibility analysis concludes that it is possible for these North Carolina growers to earn a respectable return on their cooperative investment. However, firm volume and equity commitments on the part of growers will be required. This study may be applicable to similar situations in other parts of the Southeast.Cotton gins, cooperatives, cotton, feasibility analysis, rural development, return on investment, cooperative benefits, Agribusiness,

Oral rehydration versus intravenous therapy for treating dehydration due to gastroenteritis in children: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

BACKGROUND: Despite treatment recommendations from various organizations, oral rehydration therapy (ORT) continues to be underused, particularly by physicians in high-income countries. We conducted a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to compare ORT and intravenous therapy (IVT) for the treatment of dehydration secondary to acute gastroenteritis in children. METHODS: RCTs were identified through MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, authors and references of included trials, pharmaceutical companies, and relevant organizations. Screening and inclusion were performed independently by two reviewers in order to identify randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing ORT and IVT in children with acute diarrhea and dehydration. Two reviewers independently assessed study quality using the Jadad scale and allocation concealment. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by a second. The primary outcome measure was failure of rehydration. We analyzed data using standard meta-analytic techniques. RESULTS: The quality of the 14 included trials ranged from 0 to 3 (Jadad score); allocation concealment was unclear in all but one study. Using a random effects model, there was no significant difference in treatment failures (risk difference [RD] 3%; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0, 6). The Mantel-Haenzsel fixed effects model gave a significant difference between treatment groups (RD 4%; 95% CI: 2, 5) favoring IVT. Based on the four studies that reported deaths, there were six in the IVT groups and two in ORT. There were no significant differences in total fluid intake at six and 24 hours, weight gain, duration of diarrhea, or hypo/hypernatremia. Length of stay was significantly shorter for the ORT group (weighted mean difference [WMD] -1.2 days; 95% CI: -2.4,-0.02). Phlebitis occurred significantly more often with IVT (number needed to treat [NNT] 33; 95% CI: 25,100); paralytic ileus occurred more often with ORT (NNT 33; 95% CI: 20,100). These results may not be generalizable to children with persistent vomiting. CONCLUSION: There were no clinically important differences between ORT and IVT in terms of efficacy and safety. For every 25 children (95% CI: 20, 50) treated with ORT, one would fail and require IVT. The results support existing practice guidelines recommending ORT as the first course of treatment in appropriate children with dehydration secondary to gastroenteritis

The most luminous, merger-free AGN show only marginal correlation with bar presence

The role of large-scale bars in the fuelling of active galactic nuclei (AGN) is still debated, even as evidence mounts that black hole growth in the absence of galaxy mergers cumulatively dominated and may substantially influence disc (i.e., merger-free) galaxy evolution. We investigate whether large-scale galactic bars are a good candidate for merger-free AGN fuelling. Specifically, we combine slit spectroscopy and Hubble Space Telescope imagery to characterise star formation rates (SFRs) and stellar masses of the unambiguously disc-dominated host galaxies of a sample of luminous, Type-1 AGN with 0.02 < z 0.024. After carefully correcting for AGN signal, we find no clear difference in SFR between AGN hosts and a stellar mass-matched sample of galaxies lacking an AGN (0.013 < z < 0.19), although this could be due to a small sample size (n_AGN = 34). We correct for SFR and stellar mass to minimise selection biases, and compare the bar fraction in the two samples. We find that AGN are marginally (1.7$\sigma$) more likely to host a bar than inactive galaxies, with AGN hosts having a bar fraction, fbar = 0.59^{+0.08}_{-0.09} and inactive galaxies having a bar fraction fbar = 0.44^{+0.08}_{-0.09}. However, we find no further differences between SFR- and mass-matched AGN and inactive samples. While bars could potentially trigger AGN activity, they appear to have no further, unique effect on a galaxy's stellar mass or SFR.Comment: 15 pages (9 figures). Accepted for publication in MNRA

Phospholemman Phosphorylation Regulates Vascular Tone, Blood Pressure, and Hypertension in Mice and Humans

Background: While it has long been recognized that smooth muscle Na/K ATPase (NKA) modulates vascular tone and blood pressure (BP), the role of its accessory protein phopholemman (PLM) has not been characterized. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that PLM phosphorylation regulates vascular tone in vitro and this mechanism plays an important role in modulation of vascular function and BP in experimental models in vivo and in man. Methods: Mouse studies: PLM knock-in mice (PLM3SA), in which PLM is rendered unphosphorylatable, were used to assess the role of PLM phosphorylation in vitro in aortic and mesenteric vessels using wire myography and membrane potential measurements. In vivo BP and regional blood flow were assessed using Doppler flow and telemetry in young (14-16 weeks) and old (57-60 weeks) wild-type (WT) and transgenic mice. Human studies: We searched human genomic databases for mutations in PLM in the region of the phosphorylation sites and performed analyses within two human data cohorts (UK Biobank and GoDARTS) to assess the impact of an identified SNP on BP. This SNP was expressed in HEK cells and its effect on PLM phosphorylation determined using Western Blotting. Results: PLM phosphorylation at Ser63 and Ser68 limited vascular constriction in response to phenylephrine. This effect was blocked by ouabain. Prevention of PLM phosphorylation in the PLM3SA mouse profoundly enhanced vascular responses to PE both in vitro and in vivo. In ageing WT mice PLM was hypophosphorylated and this correlated with the development of ageing-induced essential hypertension. In man we identified a non-synonymous coding variant, single nucleotide polymorphism rs61753924, which causes the substitution R70C in PLM. In HEK cells the R70C mutation prevented PLM phosphorylation at Ser68. This variant's rare allele is significantly associated with increased BP in middle-aged men. Conclusions: These studies demonstrate the importance of PLM phosphorylation in the regulation of vascular tone and BP and suggest a novel mechanism, and therapeutic target, for ageing-induced essential hypertension in man

Identifying Examinees Who Possess Distinct and Reliable Subscores When Added Value is Lacking for the Total Sample

Research has demonstrated that although subdomain information may provide no added value beyond the total score, in some contexts such information is of utility to particular demographic subgroups (Sinharay & Haberman, 2014). However, it is argued that the utility of reporting subscores for an individual should not be based on one’s manifest characteristics (e.g., gender or ethnicity), but rather on individual needs for diagnostic information, which is driven by multidimensionality in subdomain scores. To improve the validity of diagnostic information, this study proposed the use of Mahalanobis Distance and HT indices to assess whether an individual’s data significantly departs from unidimensionality. Those examinees that were found to differ significantly were then assessed separately for subscore added value via Haberman’s (2008) procedure. To this end, simulation analyses were conducted to evaluate Type I error, power, and recovery of subscore added value classifications for various levels of subdomain test lengths, subdomain inter-correlations, and proportions of multidimensionality in the total sample. Results demonstrated that the HT index possessed around 100% power across all conditions, while maintaining Type I error below 5%, which led to nearly perfect recovery of subscore added value classifications. In contrast, the power rates for Mahalanobis Distance were much lower ranging from 13% to 61% with Type I errors maintained at the nominal level of 5%. Although the power rates were below the desired criterion of 80%, the cases identified as aberrant using this method were found to have greater variability between subdomain scores, increased reliability, and lower observed subdomain correlations when compared to the generated data. As a result, outlier cases were found to have subscore added value for nearly 100% of cases across conditions even when the generated multidimensional data did not possess subscore added value. These results were cross-validated using a large-scale high-stakes test in which the Mahalanobis Distance measure was found to identify 6.57% of 8,803 test-takers that possessed subscores with added-value who otherwise would have been masked by the unidimensionality of the total sample. Overall, this study suggests that the Mahalanobis Distance measure shows some promise in identifying examinees with multidimensional score profiles

The lived experiences of experienced Vipassana Mahasi meditators: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Research into the effects and mechanisms of mindfulness training draws predominantly on quantitative research. There is a lack of understanding about the subjective experiences of experienced mindfulness meditators, which may provide additional insights into the effects, processes and context of mindfulness training. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of a novel group of experienced mindfulness meditators who practise Vipassana Mahasi (VM) meditation. The study aimed to understand how experienced VM practitioners make sense of the effects of practice and what processes they ascribe to it. Participants attended semistructured interviews, and their responses were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results yielded overarching themes including (a) improvements in hedonic and eudaimonic well-being; (b) insights into self, others and perception of reality; (c) attaining equanimity; and (d) physical and interpersonal difficulties. Participants perceived VM as a ‘cleansing’ process whereby maladaptive responses were eliminated through mindfulness, other supportive mental qualities, decentering and nonattachment. The findings revealed a complex and dynamic set of interdependent outcomes and processes, which are reinforced by Buddhist teachings and ethical practices. This study highlights the need for additional interdisciplinary research into topics such as insight generation and supportive mental qualities cultivated during VM, novel states of well-being informed by Buddhist constructs and interpersonal difficulties related to long-term practice. Findings also suggest that incorporating Buddhist teachings and ethics into mindfulness-based interventions may enhance practitioner understanding and implementation of meditation techniques.N/

Review of research to inform California's climate scoping plan: Agriculture and working lands

Agriculture in California contributes 8% of the state's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To inform the state's policy and program strategy to meet climate targets, we review recent research on practices that can reduce emissions, sequester carbon and provide other co-benefits to producers and the environment across agriculture and rangeland systems. Importantly, the research reviewed here was conducted in California and addresses practices in our specific agricultural, socioeconomic and biophysical environment. Farmland conversion and the dairy and intensive livestock sector are the largest contributors to GHG emissions and offer the greatest opportunities for avoided emissions. We also identify a range of other opportunities including soil and nutrient management, integrated and diversified farming systems, rangeland management, and biomass-based energy generation. Additional research to replicate and quantify the emissions reduction or carbon sequestration potential of these practices will strengthen the evidence base for California climate policy

Mindfulness for irritable bowel syndrome: protocol development for a controlled clinical trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a functional bowel disorder with symptoms of abdominal pain and disturbed defecation experienced by 10% of U.S. adults, results in significant disability, impaired quality of life, and health-care burden. Conventional medical care focusing on pharmacological approaches, diet, and lifestyle management has been partially effective in controlling symptoms. Behavioral treatments, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and hypnosis, are promising. This paper describes an on-going feasibility study to assess the efficacy of mindfulness training, a behavioral treatment involving directing and sustaining attention to present-moment experience, for the treatment of IBS.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The study design involves randomization of adult women with IBS according to Rome II criteria, to either an eight-week mindfulness training group (based on a Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction [MBSR] format) or a previously validated IBS social-support group as an attention-control condition. The primary hypothesis is that, compared to Support Group participants, those in the Mindfulness Program will demonstrate significant improvement in IBS symptoms as measured by the IBS Symptom Severity Scale <abbrgrp><abbr bid="B1">1</abbr></abbrgrp>.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>214 individuals have been screened for eligibility, of whom 148 were eligible for the study. Of those, 87 were enrolled, with 21 withdrawing after having given consent. 66 have completed or are in the process of completing the interventions. It is feasible to undertake a rigorous randomized clinical trial of mindfulness training for people with IBS, using a standardized MBSR protocol adapted for those experiencing IBS, compared to a control social-support group previously utilized in IBS studies.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT00680693</p

Galaxy zoo DESI: large-scale bars as a secular mechanism for triggering AGN

Despite the evidence that supermassive black holes (SMBHs) co-evolve with their host galaxy, and that most of the growth of these SMBHs occurs via merger-free processes, the underlying mechanisms which drive this secular co-evolution are poorly understood. We investigate the role that both strong and weak large-scale galactic bars play in mediating this relationship. Using 72,940 disc galaxies in a volume-limited sample from Galaxy Zoo DESI, we analyse the active galactic nucleus (AGN) fraction in strongly barred, weakly barred, and unbarred galaxies up to z = 0.1 over a range of stellar masses and colours. After controlling for stellar mass and colour, we find that the optically selected AGN fraction is 31.6 ± 0.9 per cent in strongly barred galaxies, 23.3 ± 0.8 per cent in weakly barred galaxies, and 14.2 ± 0.6 per cent in unbarred disc galaxies. These are highly statistically robust results, strengthening the tantalising results in earlier works. Strongly barred galaxies have a higher fraction of AGNs than weakly barred galaxies, which in turn have a higher fraction than unbarred galaxies. Thus, while bars are not required in order to grow a SMBH in a disc galaxy, large-scale galactic bars appear to facilitate AGN fuelling, and the presence of a strong bar makes a disc galaxy more than twice as likely to host an AGN than an unbarred galaxy at all galaxy stellar masses and colours

Seasonal temperatures in West Antarctica during the Holocene

The recovery of long-term climate proxy records with seasonal resolution is rare because of natural smoothing processes, discontinuities and limitations in measurement resolution. Yet insolation forcing, a primary driver of multimillennial-scale climate change, acts through seasonal variations with direct impacts on seasonal climate1. Whether the sensitivity of seasonal climate to insolation matches theoretical predictions has not been assessed over long timescales. Here, we analyse a continuous record of water-isotope ratios from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide ice core to reveal summer and winter temperature changes through the last 11,000 years. Summer temperatures in West Antarctica increased through the early-to-mid-Holocene, reached a peak 4,100 years ago and then decreased to the present. Climate model simulations show that these variations primarily reflect changes in maximum summer insolation, confirming the general connection between seasonal insolation and warming and demonstrating the importance of insolation intensity rather than seasonally integrated insolation or season duration2,3. Winter temperatures varied less overall, consistent with predictions from insolation forcing, but also fluctuated in the early Holocene, probably owing to changes in meridional heat transport. The magnitudes of summer and winter temperature changes constrain the lowering of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet surface since the early Holocene to less than 162 m and probably less than 58 m, consistent with geological constraints elsewhere in West Antarctica4-7