Making Content Count: How Content Marketing Can Impact Colleges\u27 Recruitment of Undergraduate Students

The primary research question addressed in this study is “How do liberal arts colleges and universities in the Midwest use content marketing strategy to impact their enrollment goals in the recruitment of undergraduate students?” Two secondary questions are “How do marketing, communications, and admissions departments of these colleges or universities intersect, align, and collaborate in achieving their recruiting goals?” and “How effective is each content marketing tool in impacting the colleges’ enrollment goals?” This study documents how three Midwestern private colleges approached, resourced, developed Content for, and deployed content marketing strategy to recruit undergraduate students over three months in spring of 2015. It reveals challenges and opportunities experienced by marketing, communications, and admission teams at the three schools. Results reveal how colleges can best approach and support content marketing to recruit undergraduate students

Mobile telephone-delivered contingency management interventions promoting behaviour change in individuals with substance use disorders: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Contingency management (CM) interventions have gained considerable interest due to their success in the treatment of addiction. However, their implementation can be resource-intensive for clinical staff. Mobile telephone-based systems might offer a low-cost alternative. This approach could facilitate remote monitoring of behaviour and delivery of the reinforcer and minimize issues of staffing and resources. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the evidence for the effectiveness of mobile telephone-delivered CM interventions to promote abstinence (from drugs, alcohol and tobacco), medication adherence and treatment engagement among individuals with substance use disorders. DESIGN: A systematic search of databases (PsychINFO, CINAHL, MEDLINE PubMed, CENTRAL, Embase) for randomized controlled trials and within-subject design studies (1995-2019). The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO. SETTING: All included studies originated in the United states. PARTICIPANTS: Seven studies were found, including 222 participants; two targeted alcohol abstinence among frequent drinkers and four targeted smoking cessation (in homeless veterans and those with post-traumatic stress disorder). One targeted medication adherence. MEASURES: The efficacy of CM to increase alcohol and nicotine abstinence was compared with control using several outcomes; percentage of negative samples (PNS), quit rate (QR) and longest duration abstinent (LDA) at the end of the intervention. FINDINGS: The random-effects meta-analyses produced pooled effect sizes of; PNS [d = 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.63-1.25], LDA (d = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.69-1.46) and QR (d = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.27-0.66), demonstrating better outcomes across the CM conditions. Most of the studies were rated as of moderate quality. 'Fail-safe N' computations for PNS indicated that 50 studies would be needed to produce a non-significant overall effect size. None could be calculated for QR and LDA due to insufficient number of studies. CONCLUSION: Mobile telephone-delivered contingency management performs significantly better than control conditions in reducing tobacco and alcohol use among adults not in treatment for substance use disorders

Mutation in the guanine nucleotide-binding protein beta-3 causes retinal degeneration and embryonic mortality in chickens

PURPOSE. To identify the gene defect that causes blindness and the predisposition to embryonic death in the retinopathy globe enlarged (rge) chicken. METHODS. Linkage analysis, with previously uncharacterized microsatellite markers from chicken chromosome 1, was performed on 138 progeny of an rge/+ and an rge/rge cross, and candidate genes were sequenced. RESULTS. The rge locus was refined and the gene for guanine nucleotide-binding protein β-3 (GNB3), which encodes a cone transducin β subunit, was found to have a 3-bp deletion (D153del) that segregated with the rge phenotype. This mutation deleted a highly conserved aspartic acid residue in the third of seven WD domains in GNB3. In silico modeling suggested that this mutation destabilized the protein. Furthermore, a 70% reduction was found in immunoreactivity to anti-GNB3 in the rge-affected retina. CONCLUSIONS. These findings implicate the β-subunit of cone transducin as the defective protein underlying the rge phenotype. Furthermore, GNB3 is ubiquitously expressed, and the c.825C→T GNB3 splicing variant (MIM 139130) has been associated with hypertension, obesity, diabetes, low birth weight, coronary heart disease, and stroke in the human population. It therefore seems likely that the defect underlying these human diseases also causes reduced embryonic viability in the rge chicken, making it a powerful model for studying the pathology involved in these associations

Perinatal choline status, metabolism, and brain development in the piglet

Although recognized as an essential nutrient in 1998, more than 90% of adults (including pregnant women) in the United States are consuming choline at levels below recommendations. Choline is required for normal neurodevelopment; but, there is relatively little research evaluating the impact of maternal choline intake on infant or childhood health, development, or intelligence outcomes. Numerous rodent studies have reported diminished performance in learning and memory tasks of offspring following choline deficiency during gestation; however, rodents may not be the most appropriate model to study early life choline status. As such, pigs were chosen as a translational model for the human infant due to striking similarities in digestive physiology, neuroanatomy, and neurodevelopmental trajectory. We hypothesized that pigs would exhibit several negative effects of choline deficiency such as: metabolic and clinical health outcomes similar to humans, learning and memory outcomes similar to rodents, and long-term neurodevelopmental and growth delays. In order to evaluate these hypotheses, two similar experiments were conducted. For both experiments, sows were provided either a choline deficient (CD) or choline sufficient (CS) diet for the last 65 d of gestation (prenatal intervention). Piglets were weaned from the sow 48 h after farrowing and provided either a CD or CS milk replacer (postnatal intervention) for 29 ± 2 d, resulting in a factorial arrangement of 4 treatment (prenatal/postnatal) groups: CS/CS, CS/CD, CD/CS, and CD/CD. To evaluate long-term impacts of choline deficiency, half of the littermate piglets in the second experiment were transferred to standard University of Illinois swine production diets at 29 ± 1 d until 89 ± 2 d of age. The first experiment evaluated the metabolomic and clinical health outcomes of perinatal choline deficiency in neonatal piglets. Overall, the piglet appears to be a sensitive model for choline deficiency during the perinatal period, as piglets did exhibit clinical health outcomes similar to humans. Specifically, liver enzymes such as ALP and GGT were elevated in postnatally CD piglets as compared to their postnatally CS counterparts. Additionally, plasma cholesterol concentrations were lower in postnatally CD piglets as compared to postnatally CS piglets, suggesting impaired VLDL excretion from the liver. In the second experiment, neurodevelopment and function were evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging procedures (macrostructural analysis, voxel-based morphometry, diffusion tensor imaging, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and cognitive performance in a spatial T-maze learning and memory task. We observed that perinatal choline deficiency delays brain development in terms of both overall brain size and white matter maturation, and alters hippocampal metabolite concentrations, but learning and memory performance was only minimally impacted. Additionally, long-term growth performance and health outcomes were evaluated. Provision of CS diets following the neonatal period reversed many of the observed negative impacts of perinatal choline in piglets; however, differences in growth performance persisted in older pigs. Taken together, maternal and early postnatal choline intake have both short- and long-term impacts on overall health status and growth performance of domestic pigs

Patients' beliefs towards contingency management: target behaviours, incentives and the remote application of these interventions

Abstract: Introduction: Contingency management interventions are among the most efficacious psychosocial interventions in promoting abstinence from smoking, alcohol and substance use. The aim of this study was to assess the beliefs and objections towards contingency management among patients in UK‐based drug and alcohol services to help understand barriers to uptake and support the development and implementation of these interventions. Methods: The Service User Survey of Incentives was developed and implemented among patients (N = 181) at three UK‐based drug and alcohol treatment services. Descriptive analyses were conducted to ascertain positive and negative beliefs about contingency management, acceptability of different target behaviours, incentives and delivery mechanisms including delivering incentives remotely using technology devices such as mobile telephones. Results: Overall, 81% of participants were in favour of incentive programs, with more than 70% of respondents agreeing with the majority of positive belief statements. With the exception of two survey items, less than a third of participants agreed with negative belief statements. The proportion of participants indicating a neutral response was higher for negative statements (27%) indicating greater levels of ambiguity towards objections and concerns regarding contingency management. Discussion and Conclusions: Positive beliefs towards contingency management interventions were found, including high levels of acceptability towards a range of target behaviours, incentives and the use of technology devices to remotely monitor behaviour and deliver incentives. These findings have implications for the development and implementation of remote contingency management interventions within the UK drug treatment services

Mixed Ancestry and Admixture in Kauai\u27s Feral Chickens: Invasion of Domestic Genes into Ancient Red Junglefowl Reservoirs

A major goal of invasion genetics is to determine how establishment histories shape non‐native organisms\u27 genotypes and phenotypes. While domesticated species commonly escape cultivation to invade feral habitats, few studies have examined how this process shapes feral gene pools and traits. We collected genomic and phenotypic data from feral chickens (Gallus gallus) on the Hawaiian island of Kauai to (i) ascertain their origins and (ii) measure standing variation in feral genomes, morphology and behaviour. Mitochondrial phylogenies (D‐loop & whole Mt genome) revealed two divergent clades within our samples. The rare clade also contains sequences from Red Junglefowl (the domestic chicken\u27s progenitor) and ancient DNA sequences from Kauai that predate European contact. This lineage appears to have been dispersed into the east Pacific by ancient Polynesian colonists. The more prevalent MtDNA clade occurs worldwide and includes domesticated breeds developed recently in Europe that are farmed within Hawaii. We hypothesize this lineage originates from recently feralized livestock and found supporting evidence for increased G. gallus density on Kauai within the last few decades. SNPs obtained from whole‐genome sequencing were consistent with historic admixture between Kauai\u27s divergent (G. gallus) lineages. Additionally, analyses of plumage, skin colour and vocalizations revealed that Kauai birds\u27 behaviours and morphologies overlap with those of domestic chickens and Red Junglefowl, suggesting hybrid origins. Together, our data support the hypotheses that (i) Kauai\u27s feral G. gallus descend from recent invasion(s) of domestic chickens into an ancient Red Junglefowl reservoir and (ii) feral chickens exhibit greater phenotypic diversity than candidate source populations. These findings complicate management objectives for Pacific feral chickens, while highlighting the potential of this and other feral systems for evolutionary studies of invasions

Drop Test Release Mechanism

Many boxes for shipping undergo drop tests by the manufacturer to ensure their durability. Certain constraints are necessary to successfully carry out these tests such as not damaging the box prior to the drop and maintaining consistency throughout every drop. Our team has designed a Drop Test Release Mechanism that addresses these constraints. It provides repetitive drops for different objects that vary in shape and size such as small electronics or parts. This device utilizes a soft-clamping mechanism that can release an object with minimal force applied onto it prior to drop. A frame made of 80/20 was designed to provide rigidity to the soft-clamping mechanism. The soft clamping mechanism supports the object between it by utilizing foam and a friction pad to induce a high friction force. The clamp can be adjusted for multiple sized objects by use of sliding rails that allow it to widen or tighten. Our design focuses on just the release of the test object. A test stand to introduce varying heights must be designed for a fully functional drop test measurement process. The final prototype was tested to analyze the effectiveness of our design. The tests involved verifying the repeatability of the drop mechanism by testing the object to see if it fell in the same orientation and with the same impact each time. The drop mechanism passed these tests but failed at a usability test and an electronic test. The report goes into detail about the design and testing of the prototype

Associations between Toxoplasma gondii infection and steroid hormone levels in spotted hyenas

Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite that infects warm-blooded animals and influences host physiology. T. gondii is known to target the host\u27s central nervous system, affecting circulating levels of steroid hormones, fear-related behaviors, and health, although these effects appear to vary among host taxa. Here, we investigated the relationship between T. gondii infection and levels of plasma testosterone and cortisol within a wild population of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta, n = 109). In our analyses, we accounted for age and sex via stratified regression analyses. We detected a negative association between circulating plasma testosterone and T. gondii infection among female cubs and subadults as well as adult male hyenas. We found no associations between T. gondii infection and cortisol in any age class or sex group of hyenas. Our work adds to a growing body of literature by characterizing the relationship between T. gondii infection and physiology in a novel host in its natural habitat. In a broader context, our findings indicate that responses to infection vary with characteristics of the host and point to a clear need for additional studies and priorities for future work that include diverse taxa and ecological settings

ALTRUISM VIA KIN-SELECTION STRATEGIES THAT RELY ON ARBITRARY TAGS WITH WHICH THEY COEVOLVE

Hamilton's rule explains when natural selection will favor altruism between conspecifics, given their degree of relatedness. In practice, indicators of relatedness (such as scent) coevolve with strategies based on these indicators, a fact not included in previous theories of kin recognition. Using a combination of simulation modeling and mathematical extension of Hamilton's rule, we demonstrate how altruism can emerge and be sustained in a coevolutionary setting where relatedness depends on an individual's social environment and varies from one locus to another. The results support a very general expectation of widespread, and not necessarily weak, conditional altruism in nature.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72180/1/j.0014-3820.2004.tb00465.x.pd