Research-Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines [2006 edition]

The new edition of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Research-Based Web Design and Usability Guidelines. These guidelines reflect HHS’ commitment to identifying innovative, research-based approaches that result in highly responsive and easy-to-use Web sites for the public. These guidelines help move us in that direction by providing practical, yet authoritative, guidance on a broad range of Web design and communication issues. Having access to the best available research helps to ensure we make the right decisions the first time around and reduces the possibility of errors and costly mistakes

Effects of Standardized Ileal Digestible Lysine on Growth Performance and Economic Return of 200 to 300 lb Grow-Finish Pigs

A total of 2,099 barrows and gilts (PIC 1050 × DNA 600; initially 198.6 ± 3.72 lb) were used in a 57-d study to determine the optimal dietary standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys level for approximately 200 to 300 lb pigs in a commercial setting. Pigs were randomly allotted to 1 of 4 dietary treatments with 24 to 27 pigs per pen and 20 replications per treatment. A similar number of barrows and gilts were placed in each pen. Diets were fed over 2 phases (199 to 233 and 233 to 299 lb respectively). Dietary treatments were corn-soybean meal-based. Diets were formulated to 85, 93, 100, or 110% of the 2016 PIC (Hendersonville, TN) SID Lys gilt recommendations with phase 1 SID Lys levels of 0.65, 0.71, 0.77, 0.84%, and phase 2 levels of 0.60, 0.66, 0.71, 0.78%, respectively. Overall (d 0 to 57), increasing SID Lys increased (linear, P \u3c 0.05) overall market weight, F/G, hot carcass weight, Lys intake/d, and Lys intake/kg of gain with an increase in ADG (quadratic, P = 0.020). For economics (d 0 to 57), feed cost per lb of gain increased (linear, P \u3c 0.05) with increased SID Lys. Revenue per pig placed and income over feed cost (IOFC) increased (quadratic, P \u3c 0.10) as the amount of SID Lys increased, and marginally significant evidence of a quadratic response for feed cost per pig placed (P = 0.073). Projecting IOFC for phase 1, the quadratic polynomial (QP) and broken-line linear models estimated the requirement at 110.9% and 96.9%, respectively, to achieve maximum IOFC. For phase 2, the QP estimated the requirement at 96.6% SID Lys to maximize IOFC. In summary, the SID Lys requirement was 97% to 111% of the 2016 PIC recommended Lys requirement for phase 1 and 97% for phase 2 to maximize IOFC

Effects of Standardized Ileal Digestible Lysine on Growth Performance and Economic Return of 108 to 178 lb Grow-Finish Pigs

A total of 2,124 barrows and gilts (PIC 1050 × DNA 600; initially 107.9 ± 1.31 lb) were used in a 32-d study to determine the optimal level of dietary standardized ileal digestibility (SID) Lys for 108 to 178 lb pigs in a commercial setting. Pigs were randomly allotted to 1 of 5 dietary treatments with 24 to 27 pigs per pen and 16 replications pen treatment. A similar number of barrows and gilts were placed in each pen. Diets were fed over 3 phases (108 to 129, 129 to 156, and 156 to 178 lb, respectively). Dietary treatments were corn-soybean meal-based and contained 10% (phase 1 and 2) or 5% (phase 3) DDGS. Diets were formulated to 85, 95, 103, 110, or 120% of the 2016 PIC SID Lys gilt recommendations as follows: phase 1 SID Lys levels of 0.90, 1.01, 1.09, 1.17 and 1.27%; phase 2 levels of 0.79, 0.87, 0.94, 1.03, and 1.10%; and phase 3 levels of 0.71, 0.78, 0.85, 0.92, and 0.99%, respectively. Overall (d 0 to 32), increasing SID Lys increased (linear, P \u3c 0.001) ADG, final body weight, Lys intake/d, and Lys intake/kg of gain with an improvement in F/G (quadratic, P = 0.047). Additionally, feed cost per pig, feed cost per lb of gain, total revenue per pig, and income over feed cost (IOFC) increased (linear, P ≤ 0.002) as SID Lys increased. Projecting IOFC, broken line linear and quadratic polynomial models estimated the maximum IOFC at 105.8% and 113.7% SID Lys, respectively. In summary, while growth performance increased linearly up to 120% of the 2016 PIC recommended Lys requirement, the optimal IOFC was 106% to 114%

Dung removal increases under higher dung beetle functional diversity regardless of grazing intensification

Dung removal by macrofauna such as dung beetles is an important process for nutrient cycling in pasturelands. Intensification of farming practices generally reduces species and functional diversity of terrestrial invertebrates, which may negatively affect ecosystem services. Here, we investigate the effects of cattle-grazing intensification on dung removal by dung beetles in field experiments replicated in 38 pastures around the world. Within each study site, we measured dung removal in pastures managed with low- and high-intensity regimes to assess between-regime differences in dung beetle diversity and dung removal, whilst also considering climate and regional variations. The impacts of intensification were heterogeneous, either diminishing or increasing dung beetle species richness, functional diversity, and dung removal rates. The effects of beetle diversity on dung removal were more variable across sites than within sites. Dung removal increased with species richness across sites, while functional diversity consistently enhanced dung removal within sites, independently of cattle grazing intensity or climate. Our findings indicate that, despite intensified cattle stocking rates, ecosystem services related to decomposition and nutrient cycling can be maintained when a functionally diverse dung beetle community inhabits the human-modified landscape

Modifying effect of dual antiplatelet therapy on incidence of stent thrombosis according to implanted drug-eluting stent type

Aim To investigate the putative modifying effect of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) use on the incidence of stent thrombosis at 3 years in patients randomized to Endeavor zotarolimus-eluting stent (E-ZES) or Cypher sirolimus-eluting stent (C-SES). Methods and results Of 8709 patients in PROTECT, 4357 were randomized to E-ZES and 4352 to C-SES. Aspirin was to be given indefinitely, and clopidogrel/ticlopidine for ≥3 months or up to 12 months after implantation. Main outcome measures were definite or probable stent thrombosis at 3 years. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was applied, with stent type, DAPT, and their interaction as the main outcome determinants. Dual antiplatelet therapy adherence remained the same in the E-ZES and C-SES groups (79.6% at 1 year, 32.8% at 2 years, and 21.6% at 3 years). We observed a statistically significant (P = 0.0052) heterogeneity in treatment effect of stent type in relation to DAPT. In the absence of DAPT, stent thrombosis was lower with E-ZES vs. C-SES (adjusted hazard ratio 0.38, 95% confidence interval 0.19, 0.75; P = 0.0056). In the presence of DAPT, no difference was found (1.18; 0.79, 1.77; P = 0.43). Conclusion A strong interaction was observed between drug-eluting stent type and DAPT use, most likely prompted by the vascular healing response induced by the implanted DES system. These results suggest that the incidence of stent thrombosis in DES trials should not be evaluated independently of DAPT use, and the optimal duration of DAPT will likely depend upon stent type (Clinicaltrials.gov number NCT00476957

ICAR: endoscopic skull‐base surgery

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Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

A generalized signal flow graph approach for hybrid acquisition of ultra-wideband signals

The general problem of searching for an object in some uncertainty region arises in a large number of situations. A specific example includes the acquisition process for a wireless communication system. Traditionally, however, a single observer is searching for a single object. This restriction is removed i