Syncro-Mate B® induces estrus in cows without ovaries

Syncro-Mate B® was capable of inducing estrous behavior in ovariectomized cows. Lengthening the norgestomet implant period from 9 to 18 days did not prevent estrus. The ability of Syncro-Mate B to induce estrous behavior in ovariectomized cows helps explain the variable conception rates obtained after using this product in intact cows

Cognitive Social Psychology

Social psychology is presently dominated by cognitive theories that emphasize the importance of personal beliefs and in tellective processes as the immediate determinants of behavior. The present paper explores two areas of.research within this tra dition : (1) beliefs about the external world, and (2) beliefs about the self. The paper concludes with a brief critique of the cognitive approach to social psychology.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69030/2/10.1177_014616727700300402.pd

Using the Mass Media

Patterns of media use in an urban setting are related to media gratification processes, but the relationship of media use to the needs of the media users is a complex one. Television, newspapers, and books are perceived as the most helpful media sources of need gratification, while radio, magazines, and films are perceived as less helpful. Use of the media is, in general, related to their perceived helpfulness. However, use of the media is not clearly related to the expressed needs of the audience members. The media appear to form two groups, books, magazines, and films as contrasted to radio, television, and newspapers. This dichotomy appears to be based not only on content but on availability and accessibility.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67162/2/10.1177_009365028000700304.pd

‘My favourite things to do’ and ‘my favourite people’: Exploring salient aspects of children’s self-concept

This study explores the potential of the ‘draw-and-write’ method for inviting children to communicate salient aspects of their self-concept. Irish primary school children aged 10–13 years drew and wrote about their favourite people and things to do (social and active self). Children drew and described many salient activities (39 in total) and people – including pets. Results suggest that widely used, adult-constructed self-esteem scales for children, while multidimensional, are limited, and that ‘draw-and-write’ is an effective multimodal method with which children can express their social and active self-concepts

Response to Guttman & Levy's article ‘on the definition and varieties of attitude and wellbeing’

Guttman and Levy have prepared an extravagant critique focused mainly on the 1980 Andrews-McKennell article in this journal. The clearly stated purpose of that article was to report a “series of explorations into the affective and cognitive components of some of the more widely used measures of perceived well-being”. Guttman and Levy ignore this. They proceed on the mistaken impression that we were (or perhaps should have been) embarking upon a definitional exercise to relate the concepts of attitude and wellbeing. Yet the reason we did not cite their article on that topic was precisely because it did not address in a direct or focused way the topic that concerned us. Their critique consists of an entirely irrelevant reanalysis of some attitudinal data by Ostrom, together with a tissue of recondite definitional and methodological issues of little consequence either for the objectives or the conclusions of our research. Their dismissal of our work as ‘scientific retrogression’ rests on an a priori definition of science that fits their own methodological style but excludes that of many other prominent researchers. Their comments reflect an attempt at methodological imperialism. We defend our independence — and that of other investigators — to use promising new methodologies other than the particular approach advocated by Guttman and Levy. (Their denunciation of the new methods of structural equation modeling is not shared even by the authoritative reviewer they themselves quote.) In addition to Guttman and Levy's specific criticisms, our Response addresses general methodological issues such as the status of structural modeling and the testing of structural models. In a concluding section we identify areas that merit further research.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43680/1/11205_2004_Article_BF00302509.pd

Effects of ertugliflozin on kidney composite outcomes, renal function and albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: an analysis from the randomised VERTIS CV trial

Aims/hypothesis In previous work, we reported the HR for the risk (95% CI) of the secondary kidney composite endpoint (time to first event of doubling of serum creatinine from baseline, renal dialysis/transplant or renal death) with ertugliflozin compared with placebo as 0.81 (0.63, 1.04). The effect of ertugliflozin on exploratory kidney-related outcomes was evaluated using data from the eValuation of ERTugliflozin effIcacy and Safety CardioVascular outcomes (VERTIS CV) trial (NCT01986881). Methods Individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus and established atherosclerotic CVD were randomised to receive ertugliflozin 5 mg or 15 mg (observations from both doses were pooled), or matching placebo, added on to existing treatment. The kidney composite outcome in VERTIS CV (reported previously) was time to first event of doubling of serum creatinine from baseline, renal dialysis/transplant or renal death. The pre-specified exploratory composite outcome replaced doubling of serum creatinine with sustained 40% decrease from baseline in eGFR. In addition, the impact of ertugliflozin on urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) and eGFR over time was assessed. Results A total of 8246 individuals were randomised and followed for a mean of 3.5 years. The exploratory kidney composite outcome of sustained 40% reduction from baseline in eGFR, chronic kidney dialysis/transplant or renal death occurred at a lower event rate (events per 1000 person-years) in the ertugliflozin group than with the placebo group (6.0 vs 9.0); the HR (95% CI) was 0.66 (0.50, 0.88). At 60 months, in the ertugliflozin group, placebo-corrected changes from baseline (95% CIs) in UACR and eGFR were −16.2% (−23.9, −7.6) and 2.6 ml min−1 [1.73 m]−2 (1.5, 3.6), respectively. Ertugliflozin was associated with a consistent decrease in UACR and attenuation of eGFR decline across subgroups, with a suggested larger effect observed in the macroalbuminuria and Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes in Chronic Kidney Disease (KDIGO CKD) high/very high-risk subgroups. Conclusions/interpretation Among individuals with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic CVD, ertugliflozin reduced the risk for the pre-specified exploratory composite renal endpoint and was associated with preservation of eGFR and reduced UACR. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT0198688

Cardiovascular Outcomes with Ertugliflozin in Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND The cardiovascular effects of ertugliflozin, an inhibitor of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2, have not been established. METHODS In a multicenter, double-blind trial, we randomly assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease to receive 5 mg or 15 mg of ertugliflozin or placebo once daily. With the data from the two ertugliflozin dose groups pooled for analysis, the primary objective was to show the noninferiority of ertugliflozin to placebo with respect to the primary outcome, major adverse cardiovascular events (a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke). The noninferiority margin was 1.3 (upper boundary of a 95.6% confidence interval for the hazard ratio [ertugliflozin vs. placebo] for major adverse cardiovascular events). The first key secondary outcome was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes or hospitalization for heart failure. RESULTS A total of 8246 patients underwent randomization and were followed for a mean of 3.5 years. Among 8238 patients who received at least one dose of ertugliflozin or placebo, a major adverse cardiovascular event occurred in 653 of 5493 patients (11.9%) in the ertugliflozin group and in 327 of 2745 patients (11.9%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.97; 95.6% confidence interval [CI], 0.85 to 1.11; P<0.001 for noninferiority). Death from cardiovascular causes or hospitalization for heart failure occurred in 444 of 5499 patients (8.1%) in the ertugliflozin group and in 250 of 2747 patients (9.1%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.88; 95.8% CI, 0.75 to 1.03; P=0.11 for superiority). The hazard ratio for death from cardiovascular causes was 0.92 (95.8% CI, 0.77 to 1.11), and the hazard ratio for death from renal causes, renal replacement therapy, or doubling of the serum creatinine level was 0.81 (95.8% CI, 0.63 to 1.04). Amputations were performed in 54 patients (2.0%) who received the 5-mg dose of ertugliflozin and in 57 patients (2.1%) who received the 15-mg dose, as compared with 45 patients (1.6%) who received placebo. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, ertugliflozin was noninferior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. (Funded by Merck Sharp & Dohme and Pfizer; VERTIS CV ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01986881.)