Fed Cattle Performance in Open Lots and Bedded Confinements

Fed cattle closeouts from the years 2007-2009 were analyzed to measure the difference in performance of cattle fed in open lots compared to cattle fed in bedded confinement buildings. Cattle fed in bedded confinements had better feed conversions and heavier finish weights then cattle fed in open lots. Cattle fed in bedded confinements also tended to have better daily gains then cattle fed in open lots

Examining counseling needs of headache patients: An exploratory study of wellness and perceived stress

Abstract: Headaches are a complex medical problem that results in significant health expenditures, lost employee attendance and productivity. and relationship disturbance. Further, psychological counseling is one of the basic components of treatment of sufferers of chronic headache. A study of 60 adults seeking medical care at a headache specialty clink was conducted to provide preliminary information on levels of wellness and perceived stress in this population Not surprisingly, overall levels of wellness were low and perceived stress was high compared to a norm group of adults. Specific components of wellness varied with spirituality being higher among the headache population and nutrition, exercise, and locus of control being lower. A case study is presented from practice in a medical clinic, and implications for mental health counselors as providers in medical settings are discussed

Closed-loop separation control over a sharp edge ramp using Genetic Programming

We experimentally perform open and closed-loop control of a separating turbulent boundary layer downstream from a sharp edge ramp. The turbulent boundary layer just above the separation point has a Reynolds number $Re_{\theta}\approx 3\,500$ based on momentum thickness. The goal of the control is to mitigate separation and early re-attachment. The forcing employs a spanwise array of active vortex generators. The flow state is monitored with skin-friction sensors downstream of the actuators. The feedback control law is obtained using model-free genetic programming control (GPC) (Gautier et al. 2015). The resulting flow is assessed using the momentum coefficient, pressure distribution and skin friction over the ramp and stereo PIV. The PIV yields vector field statistics, e.g. shear layer growth, the backflow area and vortex region. GPC is benchmarked against the best periodic forcing. While open-loop control achieves separation reduction by locking-on the shedding mode, GPC gives rise to similar benefits by accelerating the shear layer growth. Moreover, GPC uses less actuation energy.Comment: 24 pages, 24 figures, submitted to Experiments in Fluid

Incorporating New Technologies Into Toxicity Testing and Risk Assessment: Moving From 21st Century Vision to a Data-Driven Framework

Based on existing data and previous work, a series of studies is proposed as a basis toward a pragmatic early step in transforming toxicity testing. These studies were assembled into a data-driven framework that invokes successive tiers of testing with margin of exposure (MOE) as the primary metric. The first tier of the framework integrates data from high-throughput in vitro assays, in vitro-to-in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) pharmacokinetic modeling, and exposure modeling. The in vitro assays are used to separate chemicals based on their relative selectivity in interacting with biological targets and identify the concentration at which these interactions occur. The IVIVE modeling converts in vitro concentrations into external dose for calculation of the point of departure (POD) and comparisons to human exposure estimates to yield a MOE. The second tier involves short-term in vivo studies, expanded pharmacokinetic evaluations, and refined human exposure estimates. The results from the second tier studies provide more accurate estimates of the POD and the MOE. The third tier contains the traditional animal studies currently used to assess chemical safety. In each tier, the POD for selective chemicals is based primarily on endpoints associated with a proposed mode of action, whereas the POD for nonselective chemicals is based on potential biological perturbation. Based on the MOE, a significant percentage of chemicals evaluated in the first 2 tiers could be eliminated from further testing. The framework provides a risk-based and animal-sparing approach to evaluate chemical safety, drawing broadly from previous experience but incorporating technological advances to increase efficiency

Multi-Locus Variable-Number Tandem Repeat Profiling of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi Isolates from Blood Cultures and Gallbladder Specimens from Makassar, South-Sulawesi, Indonesia

Multi-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis differentiated 297 Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi blood culture isolates from Makassar in 76 genotypes and a single unique S. Typhi genotype was isolated from the cholecystectomy specimens of four patients with cholelithiasis. The high diversity in S. Typhi genotypes circulating in Makassar indicates that the number of carriers could be very large, which may complicate disease prevention and control

Risk Factors of Typhoid Infection in the Indonesian Archipelago.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of risk factors and their relative importance in different settings is essential to develop effective health education material for the prevention of typhoid. In this study, we examine the effect of household level and individual behavioural risk factors on the risk of typhoid in three Indonesian islands (Sulawesi, Kalimantan and Papua) in the Eastern Indonesian archipelago encompassing rural, peri-urban and urban areas. METHODS: We enrolled 933 patients above 10 years of age in a health facility-based case-control study between June 2010 and June 2011. Individuals suspected of typhoid were tested using the typhoid IgM lateral flow assay for the serodiagnosis of typhoid fever followed by blood culture testing. Cases and controls were defined post-recruitment: cases were individuals with a culture or serology positive result (n = 449); controls were individuals negative to both serology and culture, with or without a diagnosis other than typhoid (n = 484). Logistic regression was used to examine the effect of household level and individual level behavioural risk factors and we calculated the population attributable fraction (PAF) of removing each risk significant independent behavioural risk factor. RESULTS: Washing hands at critical moments of the day and washing hands with soap were strong independent protective factors for typhoid (OR = 0.38 95% CI 0.25 to 0.58 for each unit increase in hand washing frequency score with values between 0 = Never and 3 = Always; OR = 3.16 95% CI = 2.09 to 4.79 comparing washing hands with soap sometimes/never vs. often). These effects were independent of levels of access to water and sanitation. Up to two thirds of cases could be prevented by compliance to these practices (hand washing PAF = 66.8 95% CI 61.4 to 71.5; use of soap PAF = 61.9 95%CI 56.7 to 66.5). Eating food out in food stalls or restaurant was an important risk factor (OR = 6.9 95%CI 4.41 to 10.8 for every unit increase in frequency score). CONCLUSIONS: Major gains could potentially be achieved in reducing the incidence of typhoid by ensuring adherence to adequate hand-washing practices alone. This confirms that there is a pivotal role for 'software' related interventions to encourage behavior change and create demand for goods and services, alongside development of water and sanitation infrastructure

Turbulent separated shear flow control by surface plasma actuator: experimental optimization by genetic algorithm approach

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00348-015-2107-3The potential benefits of active flow control are no more debated. Among many others applications, flow control provides an effective mean for manipulating turbulent separated flows. Here, a nonthermal surface plasma discharge (dielectric barrier discharge) is installed at the step corner of a backward-facing step (U0 = 15 m/s, Reh = 30,000, Re¿ = 1650). Wall pressure sensors are used to estimate the reattaching location downstream of the step (objective function #1) and also to measure the wall pressure fluctuation coefficients (objective function #2). An autonomous multi-variable optimization by genetic algorithm is implemented in an experiment for optimizing simultaneously the voltage amplitude, the burst frequency and the duty cycle of the high-voltage signal producing the surface plasma discharge. The single-objective optimization problems concern alternatively the minimization of the objective function #1 and the maximization of the objective function #2. The present paper demonstrates that when coupled with the plasma actuator and the wall pressure sensors, the genetic algorithm can find the optimum forcing conditions in only a few generations. At the end of the iterative search process, the minimum reattaching position is achieved by forcing the flow at the shear layer mode where a large spreading rate is obtained by increasing the periodicity of the vortex street and by enhancing the vortex pairing process. The objective function #2 is maximized for an actuation at half the shear layer mode. In this specific forcing mode, time-resolved PIV shows that the vortex pairing is reduced and that the strong fluctuations of the wall pressure coefficients result from the periodic passages of flow structures whose size corresponds to the height of the step model.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

The Dark Triad and three types of jealousy: Its’ relations among heterosexuals and homosexuals involved in a romantic relationship

The current study examined the relations between the three Dark Triad (DT) traits and three types of jealousy, among both heterosexual and homosexual men and women involved in a romantic relationship (n = 439). It was hypothesized that the three DT traits would be related positively to those types of jealousy that have the potential to become delusional, that is anxious and preventive jealousy, but not to the relatively ‘healthy’ type of jealousy, that is reactive jealousy. In addition, differences were examined between men and women, and between homosexuals and heterosexuals with regard to the DT traits, the three types of jealousy, and the relationships between these variables. Results largely confirmed the hypothesis. In addition, moderation analyses showed that the relationships between the three DT traits and the three types of jealousy were not moderated by participant sex or sexual orientation. The current study's findings may deepen our understanding of the role of the DT in the mating psychology of both heterosexuals and homosexuals