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Objective: Small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) neonates are at increased risk of perinatal mortality and morbidity. We aimed to investigate the performance of uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA‐PI) at 19–24 weeks' gestation to predict the delivery of a SGA neonate in a Chinese population. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using data obtained between January 2010 and June 2018. Doppler ultrasonography was performed at 19–24 weeks' gestation. SGA was defined as birth weight below the 10th centile according to the INTERGROWTH‐21st fetal growth standards. The performance of UtA‐PI to predict the delivery of a SGA neonate was assessed using receiver‐operating‐characteristics (ROC)‐curve analysis. Results: We included 6964 singleton pregnancies, of which 748 (11%) delivered a SGA neonate, including 115 (15%) women with preterm delivery. Increased UtA‐PI was associated with an elevated risk of SGA, both in neonates delivered at or after 37 weeks' gestation (term SGA) and those delivered before 37 weeks (preterm SGA). The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) for UtA‐PI were 64.4% (95% CI, 61.5–67.3%) and 75.8% (95% CI, 69.3–82.3%) for term and preterm SGA, respectively. The performance of combined screening by maternal demographic/clinical characteristics and estimated fetal weight in the detection of term and preterm SGA was improved significantly by the addition of UtA‐PI, although the increase in AUC was modest (2.4% for term SGA and 4.9% for preterm SGA). Conclusions: This is the first Chinese study to evaluate the role of UtA‐PI at 19–24 weeks' gestation in the prediction of the delivery of a neonate with SGA. The addition of UtA‐PI to traditional risk factors improved the screening performance for SGA, and this improvement was greater in predicting preterm SGA compared with term SGA. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic markers for cattle production and reproduction traits. Several publications have reported Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) for carcass-related traits in cattle, but these studies were rarely conducted in pasture-finished beef cattle. Hawai'i, however, has a diverse climate, and 100% of its beef cattle are pasture-fed. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 400 cattle raised in Hawai'i islands at the commercial harvest facility. Genomic DNA was isolated, and 352 highquality samples were genotyped using the Neogen GGP Bovine 100 K BeadChip. SNPs that did not meet the quality control standards were removed using PLINK 1.9, and 85 k high-quality SNPs from 351 cattle were used for association mapping with carcass weight using GAPIT (Version 3.0) in R 4.2. Four models were used for the GWAS analysis: General Linear Model (GLM), the Mixed Linear Model (MLM), the Fixed and Random Model Circulating Probability Unification (FarmCPU), the Bayesian-Information and Linkage-Disequilibrium Iteratively Nested Keyway (BLINK). Results and Discussion: Our results indicated that the two multi-locus models, FarmCPU and BLINK, outperformed single-locus models, GLM and MLM, in beef herds in this study. Specifically, five significant SNPs were identified using FarmCPU, while BLINK and GLM each identified the other three. Also, three of these eleven SNPs ("BTA-40510-no-rs", "BovineHD1400006853", and "BovineHD2100020346") were shared by multiple models. The significant SNPs were mapped to genes such as EIF5, RGS20, TCEA1, LYPLA1, and MRPL15, which were previously reported to be associated with carcass-related traits, growth, and feed intake in several tropical cattle breeds. This confirms that the genes identified in this study could be candidate genes for carcass weight in pasture-fed beef cattle and can be selected for further breeding programs to improve the carcass yield and productivity of pasture-finished beef cattle in Hawai'i and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper knowledge and understanding of climatic variability across different seasons are important in farm management. To learn more about the potential effects of climate change on dairying in Hawaii, we conducted a study on site-specific climate characterization using several variables including rainfall, wind speed (WS), solar radiation, and temperature, at two dairy farms located on Hawai'i Island, Hawai'i, in Ookala named "OK DAIRY" and in Upolu Point named "UP DAIRY." Temperature–humidity index (THI) and WS variations in the hottest four months (June to September) were analyzed to determine when critical thresholds that affect animal health are exceeded. Rainfall data were used to estimate the capacity of forage production in 6-mo wet (November to April) and dry (May to October) seasons. Future projections of temperature and rainfall were assessed using mid- and end-century gridded data products for low (RCP 4.5) and high emissions (RCP 8.5) scenarios. Our results showed that the "OK DAIRY" site received higher rainfall than the "UP DAIRY" site, favoring grass growth and forage availability. In addition, the "UP DAIRY" site was more stressful for animals during the summer (THI 69 to 73) than the "OK DAIRY" site (THI 67 to 70) as the THI exceeded the critical threshold of 68, which is conducive for high-lactating cattle. On the "UP DAIRY" site, the THI did not drop below 68 during the summer nights, which created fewer opportunities for cattle to recover from heat stress. Future projections indicated that air temperature would increase 1.3 to 1.8 °C by mid-century and 1.6 to 3.2 °C by the end-century at both farms, and rainfall will increase at the "OK DAIRY" site and decrease at the "UP DAIRY" site by the end-century. The agriculture and livestock industries, particularly the dairy and beef subsectors in Hawai'i, are vulnerable to climate changes as higher temperatures and less rainfall will have adverse effects on cattle. The findings in this study demonstrated how both observed and projected changes in climate support the development of long-term strategies for breeding and holistic livestock management practices to adapt to changing climate conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of maternal colonization with group B streptococcus (GBS), and early onset GBS disease (EOGBSD) after implementation of universal screening.Methods: This was a three-year retrospective cohort study on universal antenatal rectovaginal culture-based screening and intrapartum antimicrobial prophylaxis (IAP) to colonized women in the public sector in Hong Kong. Routinely collected data including maternal colonization and EOGBSD were retrieved.Results: Of 113,989 GBS screening performed, 21.8% were positive. The colonization rate was higher in the public hospitals (higher risk) than in the Maternal and Child Health Centers (lower risk) (23.7% vs 18.1%, p < .001), while their false negative rates were not greater than expected. Majority of eligible women opted for screening, and colonized women received IAP. There were 29 cases of EOGBSD with clinical signs and a positive blood or cerebrospinal fluid culture. Compared to clinical risk-based screening, EOGBSD incidence decreased after universal screening (1 vs 0.24 per 1000 births, p < .001). Although EOGBSD occurred at a higher rate in preterm than term infants, 86.7% occurred in the latter, and were associated with a false negative screening result (41.3%), lack of screening (20.7%) or unavailability of a colonization result at labour (13.8%).Conclusions: Maternal GBS colonization rate was higher than previously reported, and varied with different risk populations. EOGBSD reduced after universal screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pregnancy, breed, and hair coat on body temperature and sweating rate (SR) of hair sheep. St. Croix White (STX; n = 9) and Dorper x STX (DRPX; n = 9) ewes (3.6 yr of age) were evaluated over 4 d at 126 d of gestation (PREG) and over 4 d at 46 d postpartum (OPEN) in the shade and sun and in the morning (AM; 0900 to 1200 h) and afternoon (PM; 1300 to 1600 h) after a 20 min acclimation to each condition on each day. Data loggers recorded vaginal temperature (VT) at 10-min intervals for 96 h. Rectal temperature (RT) was measured using a digital veterinary thermometer, and respiration rate (RR) was measured as breaths per minute (bpm). Sweating rate was calculated from measured air properties passing over a shaved (300 cm²) and unshaved area of the ewes' body using a portable calorimeter. Data were analyzed using GLM procedures of SAS (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC) with breed, pregnancy status, sun exposure, and time of day as main effects. Mean temperature, relative humidity, temperature-humidity index, wind speed, and solar radiation on the days of data collection were 28.2°C, 82.8%, 80.3, 4.2 km/h, and 237.5 W/m², respectively. There was no difference (P > 0.10) in RT, RR, and SR between DRPX and STX ewes. The PREG ewes had lower RT (P < 0.007) and SR (P < 0.0001) and higher RR (P < 0.007) than OPEN ewes (38.5 ± 0.2 vs. 39.1 ± 0.2°C, 70.2 ± 3.1 vs. 88.3 ± 3.1 g⋅m-2⋅h-1, and 79.5 ± 2.2 vs. 72.1 ± 2.2 bpm, respectively). During the PM, RR, RT (P < 0.05), and SR (P < 0.006) were higher than in the AM. In the sun, RR (P < 0.001) and SR (P < 0.0001) were higher than in the shade, but there was no difference (P > 0.10) in RT. There was no difference in SR (P > 0.10) between the shaved and unshaved area of the ewe. The DRPX ewes had higher (P < 0.0001) VT than STX ewes. The PREG ewes had higher (P < 0.001) VT than OPEN ewes during the night time and lower VT than the OPEN ewes during the day time (P < 0.0001). The OPEN ewes had a greater (P < 0.009) daily range of VT than PREG ewes did (2.5 ± 0.4 vs. 1.1 ± 0.4°C, respectively), but there was no breed difference (P > 0.10). Hair coat did not have an influence on the SR of the ewes, and PREG ewes appeared to use increased respiration as opposed to sweating to help control RT. The narrower range of body temperature, measured as VT, of PREG compared to OPEN ewes may be a protective mechanism for the developing fetus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress is a major inhibitor of production in livestock operations, causing severe economic loss. The objective of this study was to explore an alternative way to cool cows in time of heat stress by wetting the udder, as opposed to the common practice of wetting the body. Twelve pregnant, lactating Holstein cows were used in the study. The cows were exposed to four treatments each day over four days. The treatments were: (1) wetting the body without blowing air (n = 24), (2) wetting the body and blowing air (n = 12), (3) wetting only the udder without blowing air (n = 24), and (4) wetting the udder and blowing air directly onto the udder (n = 12). Water was sprayed over both sides of a cow's back until it dripped Similarly, this was done for the udder wetting treatment. Fans were used to blow air onto the wet area and were turned on until measurements of rectal temperature, respiration rate, and skin surface temperature, both at the udder and body (dorsal), were taken. Respiration rates and skin temperatures were higher (p > 0.05) with udder wetting compared to body wetting. However, there was no statistical difference in rectal temperature between both wetting cases with or without blowing air on- to the wet surface. Since rectal temperature is a measure of internal body temperature, it can be concluded that udder wetting alone was as effective as body wetting in abating thermal stress of dairy cows. Blowing air onto the wet udder further lowered udder skin surface temperature. There was a strong correlation (R = 0.91) between vaginal and rectal temperatures. Vaginal temperature, which provides the ability to continuously record over a prolonged time by implanting a sensor in the vagina, could be considered as an accurate and reliable measure of body temperature of healthy dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite earlier studies demonstrating in vitro propagation of solid tumour cancer stem cells (CSCs) as non-adherent tumour spheres, it remains controversial as to whether CSCs can be maintained in vitro. Additional validation of the CSC properties of tumour spheres would support their use as CSC models and provide an opportunity to discover additional CSC cell surface markers to aid in CSC detection and potential elimination.Methods: Primary tumour cells isolated from 13 surgically resected colon tumour specimens were propagated using serum-free CSC-selective conditions. The CSC properties of long-term cultured tumour spheres were established and mass spectrometry-based proteomics performed.Results: Freshly isolated CD133(+) colorectal cancer cells gave rise to long-term tumour sphere (or spheroids) cultures maintaining CD133 expression. These spheroid cells were able to self-renew and differentiate into adherent epithelial lineages and recapitulate the phenotype of the original tumour. Relative to their differentiated progeny, tumour spheroid cells were more resistant to the chemotherapeutic irinotecan. Finally, CD44, CD166, CD29, CEACAM5, cadherin 17, and biglycan were identified by mass spectrometry to be enriched in CD133(+) tumour spheroid cells.Conclusion: Our data suggest that ex vivo-expanded colon CSCs isolated from clinical specimens can be maintained in culture enabling the identification of CSC cell surface-associated proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweating and respiration rates, and skin (dorsal) and core (rectal) temperatures of 12 Holstein dairy cows were measured in controlled environments at the William Parker Agricultural Research Complex, University of Arizona-Tucson. The focus of the study was: (1) to establish the pattern (linear or periodic) of sweating, (2) to establish whether skin or core temperature drives sweating, (3) to determine how cows respond to a prolonged solar exposure, and (4) to compare dairy cows physiological responses to hot and humid versus hot and dry environmental conditions. The 12 cows were divided into two groups of six cows each and were housed alternately between two chambers. The two chambers were identical, but one (experimental chamber) included solar lamps to simulate solar load. The cows were alternately exposed to 550 W/m² solar load, THI at 79.6, and air velocity in the measurement area (dorsal surface) was maintained at 1.0 m/s. Skin temperature was greater than 35 °C (threshold for heat stress). There was considerable variation in sweating rates between cows. Cows sweat in a cyclic manner, and the results suggest that skin temperature is the primary driving force for sweating. The maximum sweating rate of dairy cows was around 660 g/m²-h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the value of simultaneous visualization of the cross-sectional view of both atrioventricular (AV) valves, the pulmonary artery and the aorta in the identification of fetuses with transposition of the great arteries (TGA). Results reveal that the en-face view of both AV valves and great vessels in fetuses with TGA manifested the main pulmonary artery located side-by-side with the aorta. Fetuses with normal harts did not have this characteristic sonographic sign.

Most research proposed so far for fuzzy pattern classification has not considered the characteristic of data distribution in a given data set during the process of clustering. This paper proposes an approach that can appropriately cluster a given data set automatically based on data distribution of a given data set without the need of specifying the number of resultant clusters and setting up subjective parameters. Some special data distributions, such as stripe- or belt-shaped distributions, can therefore be nicely clustered for better pattern classification. Statistical concept is applied to define weights of pattern features so that the weight of a pattern feature is proportional to the contribution the feature can provide to the task of pattern classification. The proposed weight definition not only reduces the dimensionality of feature space so as to speed up the classification process but also increases the accuracy rate of classification result. The experiments in this paper demonstrate the proposed method has fewer fuzzy rules and better classification accuracy than other related methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the effect of left ventricular (LV) shape on contractility and ejection function. In this study, a new contractility index is developed in terms of the wall stress (σ*, normalized with respect to LV pressure) by means of an LV ellipsoidal model. Using cine-ventriculography data, the LV ellipsoidal model (LVEM) major (B) and minor axes (A) are derived for the entire cardiac cycle. Thereafter, a new contractility index (CONT1) is derived as dσ*/dt, incorporating the LV ellipsoidal shape factor. Also, another contractility index (CONT2) was developed in terms of the generated σ* at the start of ejection phase, and maximized with respect to B/Ashape parameter, to obtain the optimal value of B/Aover the physiological ranges of the ratio of myocardial volume and LV volume. The in vivovalue of B/Aat the start of ejection is compared with this optimal value, and the LV contractility is evaluated in terms of the proximity of the in vivo B/Ato the optimal B/A. The results indicate that a non-optimal less-ellipsoidal shape (or more spherical) is associated with decreased contractility (and poor systolic function) of the LV, associated with a failing heart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PC clusters have recently received considerable interest as cost-effective parallel platforms for CPU-intensive applications. A cluster of PCs generally comprises of a collection of heterogeneous process elements (PEs). To make effective use of a PC cluster, a parallel program, which is characterised by a node- and edge-weighted directed acyclic graph (DAG), can usually be decomposed into a set of precedence-constrained atomic tasks such that PEs are able to accommodate these tasks and minimise the overall program-completion time. Consequently, techniques for task matching and scheduling become extremely important for effectively harnessing the computing power of the target cluster-based system. This work presents a constructive algorithm based on ant colony optimisation (ACO). The proposed algorithm, namely ACO-TMS, adopts a new state transition rule that reduces the time required when finding the satisfactory scheduling results. The proposed algorithm also integrates a local search procedure that proposed to help improve the scheduling results. The performance of this algorithm is demonstrated by comparing it against other existing algorithms, such as the genetic-algorithm-based scheduling method and the dynamic priority scheduling (DPS) heuristic, in terms of overall schedule length of randomly generated DAGs. Experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithm outperforms the genetic algorithm and the DPS heuristic algorithm for high communication to computation and heterogeneous computing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transconductance and the transresistance modes might act as the bridge transferring from voltage mode to current mode and vice versa, respectively. This paper presents a new mixed-mode (including voltage, current, transconductance, and transresistance modes) high-order universal filter structure using n+1 differential difference current conveyors (DDCCs), n grounded capacitors and n+2 grounded resistors, which are the minimum components necessary for realising an nth-order mixed-mode universal filtering response (low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, band-reject, and all-pass) from the same topology. Moreover, the proposed circuit simultaneously achieves nearly all of the main advantages. H-Spice simulation results confirm the theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The tumour invasive front of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has been recognized to harbour better prognostic information. The general aim of this study was to evaluate the biological activity using proliferative marker, Ki-67 and an apoptotic marker, MDM2 at the invasive front of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: A total of 31 OSCC cases from the buccal mucosa were evaluated with specific antibodies to Ki-67 and MDM2 using immunohistochemistry (IHC). The sociodemographic and clinicopathological parameters were recorded and analysed against the IHC findings. Results: The expression of Ki-67 and MDM2 were detected in 90.3% (28) and 64.5% (20) of the cases respectively. The present study found significant association between MDM2 expression with gender (P=0.026) and Broder's tumour grading (P=0.041). Significant association was also observed between combined Ki-67/MDM2 expression with both gender (P=0.011) and Broders' tumour grading (P=0.031). The present study found no significant association between Ki-67 and MDM2 at the tumour invasive front. No association was also found between Ki-67 expression as a proliferative marker (using labelling index) and MDM2 as an apoptotic markers. Conclusions: The tumour invasive front may be suitable for evaluating the expression of Ki-67 as their localization is seen at the basal and parabasal areas. The value of evaluating MDM2 at the tumour invasive front is still controversial as this study showed that the localization of MDM2 is at the suprabasal and the upper region. Such MDM2 distribution is in accordance to some reports but contrary to another report in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Larsen syndrome consists of skeletal dysplasia with multiple joint dislocations and a characteristic facies. The basis of this abnormality is a generalized mesenchymal disorder involving connective tissues. We describe our findings in a woman who was referred at 28 weeks' gestation due to multiple fetal anomalies suspected initially at an 18-week ultrasound examination. On three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound we found the fetus had bilateral genu recurvatum. Further 3D examination at 36 weeks confirmed the lower limb anomaly and revealed facial anomalies that led to the diagnosis of Larsen syndrome. An elective Cesarean section was performed at 38 weeks' gestation to minimize neurological sequelae. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed postnatally and showed pachygyria, colpocephaly and agenesis of the corpus callosum. In this case, 3D ultrasound facilitated the prenatal diagnosis of Larsen syndrome. A careful prenatal investigation for other associated anomalies such as those of the cardiovascular or neurological systems is warranted with this diagnosis. These associated lesions are likely to have a greater impact on prognosis than the classic symptoms of Larsen syndrome and a collaborative approach is necessary to optimize delivery and postnatal management of an affected fetus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]