Poecilia reticulata predation on Aedes aegypti larvae : effects of predator body size and vegetation density

In this study, predation efficiency of three guppy ( Poecilia reticulata) size classes was evaluated at various vegetation densities in a series of circular aquaria containing plastic plants closely resembling Ceratophyllum demersum. The effect of vegetation density was most apparent among large fish where predation efficiency greatly diminished from 12.35 mosquito larvae (Aedes aegypti) to 4.68 as vegetation densities rose from 3 to 19 plants/700 cm2. Over that same range of increasing vegetation densities, predation among small fish remained unchanged, whereas among fish of intermediate size predation declined significantly but less precipitously than for large individuals. When presented with a choice between second and fourth mosquito larvae, small fish preferred to prey on second instars, whereas large fish preferred fourth instar larvae. Fish of intermediate size did not show a statistically significant preference. The functional response of fish to increasing prey densities, as measured over a 12-h period, was of Type III

Reactive Archey Target Design Team Mimic

This design project will aim to provide archery hunters with a platform to simulate shooting at string jumping deer. String jumping refers to a spooked deer hearing the snap of a bow string and instintivly ducking up to ten inches. This often results in wounded or missed deer. We will design and build a control system that uses the sound of a bow string as a trigger to operate a mechanical target system. A sound sensor will mimic a deer’s hearing in close range hunting and then send a signal to the mechanical system to replicate the dropping motion of the spooked deer. If successful, the system will allow hunters to improve their marksmanship and minimize missed or wounded deer that result in lost time, money, and resources

Wilson Surface Central Charge from Holographic Entanglement Entropy

We use entanglement entropy to define a central charge associated to a two-dimensional defect or boundary in a conformal field theory (CFT). We present holographic calculations of this central charge for several maximally supersymmetric CFTs dual to eleven-dimensional supergravity in Anti-de Sitter space, namely the M5-brane theory with a Wilson surface defect and three-dimensional CFTs related to the M2-brane theory with a boundary. Our results for the central charge depend on a partition of the number of M2-branes, $N$, ending on the number of M5-branes, $M$. For the Wilson surface, the partition specifies a representation of the gauge algebra, and we write our result for the central charge in a compact form in terms of the algebra's Weyl vector and the representation's highest weight vector. We explore how the central charge scales with $N$ and $M$ for some examples of partitions. In general the central charge does not scale as $M^3$ or $N^{3/2}$, the number of degrees of freedom of the M5- or M2-brane theory at large $M$ or $N$, respectively.Comment: 51 pages, 7 figure

Stop N\u27 Go: Save Time, Save Lives

A poster presented by Maddox Alexander, William He, James Rodgers, Sahil Konduru, Paige Omohundro and Brandon Smith for the class Business, Accounting, and Entrepreneurship.https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/gsp_projects_2019/1011/thumbnail.jp

Prospectus, August 30, 1995

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1995/1018/thumbnail.jp

Epidemiology and molecular typing of Trypanosoma cruzi in naturally-infected hound dogs and associated triatomine vectors in Texas, USA

Dataset associated with publicatio

Beta-adrenergic antagonist tolerance in amyloid cardiomyopathy

Background: Beta-adrenergic antagonists or blockers (BB) are a cornerstone of cardiac therapy for multiple indications. However, BB are considered relatively contraindicated in amyloid cardiomyopathy due to poor tolerance. This intolerance is hypothesized to be due to concomitant neuropathy and significant restrictive cardiomyopathy. This study analyzes the incidence and characteristics of BB tolerance in patients with amyloid cardiomyopathy. Methods: Through a single-center retrospective chart review, patients with amyloid cardiomyopathy, confirmed by endomyocardial biopsy or technetium-99 pyrophosphate scan, were identified and clinical data was collected. Statistical methods included Chi-square test and two sample Results: Of 135 cardiac amyloidosis patients, 27 patients (20.0%) had no BB use, 56 patients (41.5%) were current BB users, and 52 patients (38.5%) were prior BB users. The most frequent indications for BB use were heart failure, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and arrhythmia. The most common reason for stopping BB therapy was hypotension (62.8%) followed by fatigue, bradycardia, and orthostasis. Neurologic symptoms at the initial BB prescription or most recent evaluation were not significantly different between current and prior BB users. Their cardiovascular profiles were similar by ejection fraction, wall thickness, troponin I, and brain natriuretic peptide. There was no association for BB discontinuation based on amyloid subtype, sex, or race. Conclusion: The majority of patients with amyloid cardiomyopathy were prescribed BB, and over half of these patients still tolerated BB therapy. Current and prior BB users had similar profiles from a cardiovascular and neurologic perspective, with no association identified to predict BB discontinuation

Advancing the Selection of Neurodevelopmental Measures in Epidemiological Studies of Environmental Chemical Exposure and Health Effects

With research suggesting increasing incidence of pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders, questions regarding etiology continue to be raised. Neurodevelopmental function tests have been used in epidemiology studies to evaluate relationships between environmental chemical exposures and neurodevelopmental deficits. Limitations of currently used tests and difficulties with their interpretation have been described, but a comprehensive critical examination of tests commonly used in studies of environmental chemicals and pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders has not been conducted. We provide here a listing and critical evaluation of commonly used neurodevelopmental tests in studies exploring effects from chemical exposures and recommend measures that are not often used, but should be considered. We also discuss important considerations in selecting appropriate tests and provide a case study by reviewing the literature on polychlorinated biphenyls

Prior traumatic brain injury is a risk factor for in-hospital mortality in moderate to severe traumatic brain injury: a TRACK-TBI cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: An estimated 14-23% of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) incur multiple lifetime TBIs. The relationship between prior TBI and outcomes in patients with moderate to severe TBI (msTBI) is not well delineated. We examined the associations between prior TBI, in-hospital mortality, and outcomes up to 12 months after injury in a prospective US msTBI cohort. METHODS: Data from hospitalized subjects with Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3-12 were extracted from the Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury Study (enrollment period: 2014-2019). Prior TBI with amnesia or alteration of consciousness was assessed using the Ohio State University TBI Identification Method. Competing risk regressions adjusting for age, sex, psychiatric history, cranial injury and extracranial injury severity examined the associations between prior TBI and in-hospital mortality, with hospital discharged alive as the competing risk. Adjusted HRs (aHR (95% CI)) were reported. Multivariable logistic regressions assessed the associations between prior TBI, mortality, and unfavorable outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended score 1-3 (vs. 4-8)) at 3, 6, and 12 months after injury. RESULTS: Of 405 acute msTBI subjects, 21.5% had prior TBI, which was associated with male sex (87.4% vs. 77.0%, p=0.037) and psychiatric history (34.5% vs. 20.7%, p=0.010). In-hospital mortality was 10.1% (prior TBI: 17.2%, no prior TBI: 8.2%, p=0.025). Competing risk regressions indicated that prior TBI was associated with likelihood of in-hospital mortality (aHR=2.06 (1.01-4.22)), but not with hospital discharged alive. Prior TBI was not associated with mortality or unfavorable outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: After acute msTBI, prior TBI history is independently associated with in-hospital mortality but not with mortality or unfavorable outcomes within 12 months after injury. This selective association underscores the importance of collecting standardized prior TBI history data early after acute hospitalization to inform risk stratification. Prospective validation studies are needed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02119182