The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of nonmotorized treadmill walking and motorized treadmill walking on YO, results, measured in ml•kg·'·min·•, of males and females, ages 20-30 at Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA. The participants were required to walk at a pace of 3 miles per hour and 13% grade for a total exercise time of 9 minutes. The exercise time was broken up with 3-minute recovery periods. Oxygen uptake was measured continuously using a metabolic measurement cart. The data obtained from the metabolic cart were correlated for each treadmill to determine the degree of relationship. A 1 test for correlated means was used to determine if there was a significant difference, alpha < 0.05, when measuring YO, and metabolic (MET) results. A significantly low correlational coefficient was found when the Pro form Dual Motion Crosswalk Cross Trainer motorized treadmill (CW TM) V02 and MET results were compared with the Jane Fonda nonmotorized treadmill (Jane TM) and Voit 502 MD nonmotorized treadmill (Voit TM) YO, and MET results (r = 0.3, Q < 0.0001). These results enabled the researchers to reject the null hypotheses, which stated there would be no significant difference and a high positive correlation between nonmotorized and motorized treadmill V02 and MET results. Standard mean difference effect sizes were calculated for the nonmotorized treadmills versus the motorized treadmill. An effect size of 1.62 was found when both nonmotorized treadmills were compared with the motorized treadmill. This, combined with the significant difference, Q < 0.0001 , provided confidence that a Type I error was avoided. Therefore, the results of this research study show a significant difference in V02 and METs measured on a nonmotorized treadmill when compared with a motorized treadmill.

The cost of fresh and dehydrated vegetables was studied in terms of initial cost and labor cost. Three institution kitchens were used: Logan Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Hospital, Logan Senior High School, and the High Rise Cafeteria at Utah State University. Beans, celery, onions, peas, green peppers, diced potatoes, shredded potatoes, sliced potatoes, and whipped potatoes were included in the research. Fresh vegetables were found to have lower initial cost. Labor costs were lower for dehydrated vegetables. In the preparation of 25 pounds of vegetables the total cost of dehydrated vegetables was less than that of fresh vegetables. This cost difference continued to increase as the amount of fresh vegetables used increased. Quality scores indicated that the potato products, green peppers when served in a mixed dish, and onions when served in a mixed dish were the best accepted of the dehydrated products. Green beans were found to be an unacceptable product.

The effect of increasing the dietary protein and pyridoxine level on calcium balance and bone strength was studied in growing and adult rats. The loss of calcium due to urinary excretion of o-phosphoryl-ethanolamine on a high protein diet was also examined. Three studies were conducted. In the first adult male rats were fed 40% protein diets with high or low pyridoxine or a low protein, low pyridoxine diet. Calcium balance and femur bending stress were determined. In the second study male weanling rats were given either 10 or 63% protein with 0.40 or 0.73% pyridoxine. Calcium and phosphorous balances were determined. Calcium, phosphorous, and ash content of the ulna, scapula, and caudal vertebrae were evaluated. Stress tests were carried out on the femur, tibia, humerus, and caudal vertebrae. Adult female rats were given 63% protein diets with or without pyridoxine in the third study. Calcium and phosphorous balances were determined. Urinary o-phosphorylethanolamine was checked. The high protein diets caused a more positive calcium balance than the lower protein diets in all studies. The phosphorous balance became increasingly negative as the calcium balance became more positive. Pyridoxine level had no effect on the balance of either mineral. Diet had no effect on the mineral content of weight bearing bones. The high protein diet resulted in higher mineral values in the vertebrae than the lower protein diet. Diet did not effect resistance to stress in the bones of the adult rats. In the young rats, the stress results were not consistent. Pyridoxine had no effect on mineralization regardless of dietary protein level. No urinary excretion of o-phosphorylethan-olamine was found in a pyridoxine deficiency.

Ground turkey samples were prepared with different fat levels, fat types, percent mechanically deboned meat and grind. All samples were analyzed at three different time-intervals. Samples were evaluated by chemical, sensory, and physical measurements, in term of stability, water content, fat content, press fluid, water loss, flavor, texture, and hedonic values. Significant differences were determined by analysis of variance. Coarse ground (5/8") samples showed significantly higher TBA numbers, fat content, total loss, and juiciness. Water content, flavor scores, amount of press fluid, texture scores, and hedonic scores were lower when compared to the fine and medium ground samples. Results of adding different percents deboned meat showed that TBA number and water content increased as the percent deboned meat increased. Decreases in flavor score, fat content, press fluid, total loss, and juiciness were obtained with increased percent deboned meats. However, sensory panelists preferred the samples with 10 percent added deboned meat to other deboned levels regardless of grind. The results of adding different types and levels of fat indicated that samples containing vegetable fat had the lowest TBA numbers while the samples containing beef fat showed the highest value. As the level of fat and length of storage increased, TBA numbers increased significantly. Sensory panel scores for juiciness and press fluid of the individual treatments fluctuated with level of added fat. As the fat levels were increased, juiciness scores and the amount of press fluids increased significantly. Loss due to cooking and thawing was highest for samples containing vegetable fat and lowest for samples containing pork fat. An increase in total loss was observed as fat levels were increased. Samples with turkey and beef fat received the high texture scores. The low texture scores appeared as the level of any type of fat increased. All samples with 10 percent added fat received the highest s core for overall acceptability.

Methods for delivery of genes and agents which bind to nucleic acids, and thereby modify the expression of genes, are areas of intensive research. The focus of the present study is the initial development and characterization of an enteric delivery system for DNA-binding drugs. Several fluorescent probes were screened as to their suitability for analysis of DNA in alginate beads. A UV transilluminator was used to identify SYBR I and SYBR II as two functional fluorescent probes for DNA within intact alginate beads. A methyl green-DNA complex was found to be useful for monitoring the dissolution of alginate beads and release of an intact drug-DNA carrier system. After dissolution of alginate beads containing DNA, addition of DNase I to the dissolution fluid resulted in the complete hydrolysis of DNA. This is a necessary condition for the release of a DNA binding drug from the DNA carrier system in that hydrolysis of the carrier by enteric nucleases must occur in the presence of alginate. Once released from a DNA carrier, protein binding plays an important role in the disposition of these agents. A phosphorothioate oligonucleotide complexed to a methidium-spermine affinity gel was used as a tool to study oligonucleotide binding proteins . Bovine serum albumin was used as a prototype binding protein and was found to elute as a single peak from the oligonucleotide affinity column. Elution was accomplished with a sodium chloride gradient. This approach may be useful for characterization of other oligonucleotide binding proteins.

Little is known about the interaction between diabetes and sex in vasculature. This study was designed to investigate the effects of estrogen as well as type 2 diabetes (T2D) on aortic function in rats with respect to sex. To test the effects of T2D and sex, UC Davis Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (UCD-T2DM) rat model was used. To study the effects of estrogen, ovariectomized Sprague- Dawley female rats and UCD-T2DM rats at pre-diabetic stage were used and the rats were implanted subcutaneously either with placebo or 17 β-estradiol pellets (60 days release, 1.5mg/pellets). The plasma analytes for metabolic parameters and aortic responses to vasodilator and vasoconstrictor agents were determined. The expression of molecules associated with vascular response (e.g. endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS), Nox1, Nox4, intermediate conductance calcium-dependent potassium channels (IKCa) and small conductance calcium-dependent potassium channels (SKCa)) were also evaluated in aortic tissue. The main objectives of the study were whether 1) sex differences exist in the development of abnormal vascular responses of UCD-T2DM rats, 2) there were changes in the relative contributions of endothelium-derived relaxing factors (EDRFs) in modulating vascular reactivity of aorta, and 3) estrogen replacement improves the aortic function of ovariectomized UCD-T2DM rats at pre-diabetic stage. In the study of examining the effect of sex and T2D, diabetes significantly impaired relaxation responses to ACh and SNP in aortic rings from female UCD-T2DM rats, however, potentiated the relaxation in males. The responsiveness to PE was significantly enhanced in both diabetic groups regardless of sex. Accordingly, the basal nitric oxide (NO), as indicated by the potentiation of the response to PE after L-NAME, was reduced in aorta of both diabetic groups. Blocking of COX, sGC and NOS completely abolished the relaxation response in female diabetic group whereas male diabetic animals showed a significant remaining relaxation response to ACh. Further incubation of aortic rings of male animals with TEA or TRAM 34 blunted the relaxation responses to ACh in both control and diabetic groups. However, the inhibitory effects of TEA or TRAM 34 on the ACh-induced relaxation in male UCD-T2DM group was greater than their respective controls. By contrast, ACh responses were not affected following incubation with Apamin in either group of male rats. Moreover, protein expression of IKca were significantly higher in male diabetic group compared with the respective controls. In the estrogen replacement study, treatment with E2 markedly enhanced the ACh responses of aortic rings in both control and pre-diabetic groups compared to respective placebo treated group. Moreover, effect of E2 in improving the ACh induced relaxation response was significantly higher in control group compared with pre-diabetic animals. The responsiveness to PE were significantly reduced in both E2 treated groups. Basal NO level was significantly higher in both E2 replaced groups but in control group the level was significantly higher than the pre-diabetic rats. Also, protein expression level of Nox1 were decreased in E2 treated control and pre-diabetic group but eNOS were enhanced only in E2 treated control groups. In conclusion, this study suggests that the effects of type 2 diabetes on aortic ring are sex specific and we showed a differential contribution of EDRFs in male UCD-T2DM rats. Furthermore, our data suggests that elevated eNOS and decreased Nox1protein level may contribute to the higher impact of estrogen in ovariectomized control groups compared to the pre-diabetic rats.

Life Cycle and Transmission Toxoplasmosis is a disease produced by infection with the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular parasite which was first isolated from the North African rodent, Cyterodactylus gondii, in 1908. Since that time, this organism has been shown to have worldwide distribution and is probably the most common parasite of mammals, birds and reptiles (Remington., 1960). In 1965, Hutchinson described toxoplasma oocysts in cat feces, but it was not until 1970 that the life cycle of the organism was disclosed. The felidae represent the primary host for toxoplasma and are the only animals known to harbor the intestinal form (Frenkel., 1973). The oocysts are shed by the cat within 3 to 5 days after infection and sporulate within the feces in another 3 to 4 days. This oocyst is fairly resistant to drying and disinfectants and may remain infective in fairly moist soil for up to several years (Jacobs.. 1974). (Figure 1)

It was the objective of the current study to evaluate the ability of 10-fold cross validation and prediction error sum of squares (PRESS) statistic to identify population pharmacokinetic models (PPKM) that were estimated from data without influence observations versus PPKMs from data containing influence observations. The evaluation of 10-fold cross validation and PRESS statistic from Leave-one-out cross-validation for PPK model validation was performed in 3 Phases. In Phase 1 model parameters (theta and clearance) were estimated for datasets with and without influence observations. It was found that influence observations caused an over-estimation of the model parameters.

This study concerned itself with voluntary contraceptive sterilization in general, and involved both vasectomy and female sterilization individually. Vasectomy and female sterilization were not considered to be the same and were treated individually, yielding two studies in one. Males were studied for psychological, marital and sexual reactions to vasectomy; and females were studied for the same reactions to female sterilization. Although references will often be made to sterilization as a general term, this distinction should be maintained throughout the research. All hypotheses, while states as though they referred to sterilization in general, will consider vasectomy and female sterilization are compared, will this distinction not be made.

INTRODUCTION: Asthma, the leading chronic disease in children, is a major public health issue with 6.2 million children below 18 years currently diagnosed with asthma in the United States. This study sought to examine the national estimates and predictors of the burden of childhood asthma-hospitalizations in children below 18 years. METHODS: Data from the 2012 Kids’ Inpatient Database was used for analysis. Principal asthma diagnoses were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code 493. xx. The burden was assessed in terms of number of asthma-related hospitalizations, total numbers of days spent in the hospital and total costs. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to examine the predictors of childhood asthma hospitalizations. RESULTS: There were an estimated 82,634 asthma-related hospitalizations among children below 18 years in the United States in 2012, accounting for about 1 billion US dollars in hospital charges and more than 150,000 hospital days. Government payers (Medicare and Medicaid) were billed for about 60% of asthma-related hospitalizations in children. The rate of asthma hospitalizations was lowest in the Midwest (19.23%) and males accounted for more than half (62.57%) of asthma cases in children in the United States. The mean of hospital charges per discharge was 12,900 US dollars and the mean length of stay was 1.96 days. Older age (ages 12-17), Government insurance status, being female, living in the Western region and longer length of stay predicted higher total charges for childhood asthma-related hospitalizations. Factors associated with longer length of stay included older age (ages 12-17), private insurance status, being female and living in the Southern region of the country. CONCLUSION: The study findings suggest that childhood asthma remains a healthcare burden therefore, there is need for improvements in medications and outpatient treatments of asthma to reduce childhood asthma-hospitalizations in the United States. Keywords: children, asthma, hospitalizations, burden