Polymorphisms of Bovine HSP90 and Their Implications in Beef Cattle Productivity

Production of beef cattle represents a $60 billion industry in the United States (USDA, 2015). The American beef cattle industry loses an estimated$370 million annually due to heat stress (St-Pierre, 2003). As of 2003, this was equal to nearly 99 million pounds of beef lost (USDA, 2015). The average American consumed roughly 65 pounds of beef in 2003; this means that the 99 million pounds of beef lost to heat stress would have been enough to feed approximately 1.5 million Americans for an entire year (Barclay, 2012)

Rings of geometries II

AbstractLinear spaces are investigated using the general theory of “Rings of Geometries I.” By defining geometries and ring structures in several different ways, formulae for linear spaces embedded in finite projective and affine planes are obtained. Several “fundamental theorems” of counting in finite projective planes are proved which show why configurations with at least three points per line and at least three lines through every point are important. These theorems are illustrated by finding the formulae for the number of k-arcs in a projective plane of order q for all k ⩽ 8 and also by finding a formula for the number of blocking sets. A quick proof that a projective plane of order 6 does not exist follows from the formula for the number of 7-arcs in such a plane

MBA Student Pre-Program And Post-Program Assessments Of Critical Skills: Implications For Outcomes Assessment And Curriculum Design

At the time of matriculation, MBA students were surveyed concerning how important several skills and areas of knowledge were to them.  The students were also surveyed immediately after graduation, and asked how successful the program was in developing these skills and areas of knowledge.  This work presents results of three recent years of the survey data, and discusses its potential to contribute to the important areas of curriculum design, outcomes assessment, and program promotion

The non-classical 10-arc of PG(4, 9)

AbstractIt is shown that PG(4,9) contains a non-classical 10-arc. It is the first example of a (q + 1)-arc of PG(n, q), (q ood, 2⩽n⩽q −2), which is not a normal rational curve. Various properties of the arc are also derived

A Goal Programming Approach To Human Resource Planning With A Concentration On Promotion Policy

Goal programming will be employed to assist human resource managers in identifying a promotion policy that will provide a desired future distribution of managers at various levels in an organization.  The goal programming model will be developed and exemplified for a small firm with only two job classifications.  Model inputs include the current inventory of managers and a desired future distribution of these managers.  The model output will be an identified “optimal” promotion policy that will achieve the desired future assignments of managers.&nbsp

Expectations Of Incoming MBA Students Implications For Curriculum Development And Program Promotion

This work presents the results of five years of survey data designed to assess the attitudes and opinions of newly matriculating MBAs with respect to expectations and choice of program.  In response to market demands and competition for MBA students, a dynamic business environment, and changes in AACSB accreditation standards, it is becoming more important than ever to know about the expectations of MBA students.   It is equally important to understand the issues and program attributes that motivated their choice of graduate business program

Becoming and Being: Special Guardians’ Stories of Kinship Care

Kinship care is a widespread alternative living arrangement for children who cannot live with their birth parents. Recently, the UK government legally formalised this arrangement with the introduction of the Special Guardianship Order (SGO). However, research has shown having the legal order does not guarantee Special Guardians (SGs) the financial or psychological support from services they need for themselves and their families. Research so far has used national data and interviews to examine the experience of SG families. However, a gap exists in understanding the intersection of the complex factors which impact upon carer’s lives, and what sense they make of these factors. Interviews were completed with four female SGs. A narrative analysis was undertaken by applying performative and dialogical narrative questions to explore how each Guardian made sense of caring for someone else’s child. The narratives were analysed in relation to the transition and experience of being a carer; with a focus on their identity, the systems and professionals involved in their networks and wider contextual factors. The narratives created highlighted the contested nature of SG’s identities as they strove to be accepted as capable caregivers by others. The personal and professional systems were portrayed as adversarial which resulted in narratives of confrontation and survival. Thus, out of necessity, and through a desire to defend their identities and protect their children, SGs have had to fight to secure resources. Often in circumstances that have provided little certainty or support to them. This has left them feeling isolated and worn down. In situating themselves as battling with the professional system, the emotional impact of Guardianship was discussed. In addition, the assessment process was portrayed as demanding and SG’s status in relation to foster carers was compared to emphasise the perception that they have been forgotten and used by professionals and the wider system. Implications for these findings and recommendations for future practice and research will be provided

USING RANDOM SAMPLING TO ESTIMATE INSECT COUNTS AS RESPONSE SURFACES INVOLVING SPACE AND TIME

In fall 2000, an on-farm sustainable agricultural research project was established for cotton (Gossypium hirstum L.) in Tift County, Georgia. Twenty fields that were to be planted to cotton in 2001 were identified which were approximately 5 to 10 acres in size. Four randomly selected fields were assigned to each of five cover crops: 1) cereal rye (Secale cereale L.); 2) crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.); 3) legume mixture of balansa clover (T. michelianum Savi), crimson clover, and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth); 4) previous legume mixture plus cereal rye; and 5) no cover crop (fallow) in conventionally tilled fields. Cotton was planted in two rows (36 in apart) on six foot beds. A strip was burned out in each row in the four cover treatments using paraquat so cotton could be planted. In the spring, insect counts were determined using sweep nets in the covers and when the cotton was small. Cotton plants from emergence to four weeks old were not sampled since the sweep net could break the fragile cotton plants. Five more weeks of sweep net data were collected from cotton. Insect samples after this involved whole plants since the cotton was too big for the sweep net to be effective. Each field was divided into 24 x 24 foot sample areas beginning at the center of the field. Each week for 14 or 15 weeks, 21 samples were obtained from each field. Comprising the 21 random samples were one sample from the four center plots, one sample from each of the four sides, and four samples from each of the four quadrants. Thus throughout the season, a five acre field could have most of the plots sampled at least once. Larger fields saw a smaller percentage of all the plots sampled. No interior plot excluding the center and edges was sampled a second time until every plot had been sampled once. A response surface was fitted for the weekly data for each field. As would be expected, high densities of insects resulted in a significant fit

Preventing Insider Theft: Lessons from the Casino and Pharmaceutical Industries

Through structured interviews and a literature review, we assess which approaches to protection against insider thefts in the casino and pharmaceutical industries could be usefully applied to strengthen protections against insider theft in the nuclear industry, where insider thefts could have very high consequences. Among other measures, we suggest consideration of constant video surveillance of all vaults and insider-material interactions; frequent and rigorous material accounting; requiring everyone who touches material to sign for it; implementing an expanded two-person rule; rewarding attention to security; and establishing incident databases and experience sharing. While many of these measures are in place for some operations with weapons-usable material in some countries, they should be considered for more universal application