Abstract A longitudinal follow-up study of postnatal depression was performed in the years 1995-2000 in the University of Oulu. A volunteer, ramdomly selected group of 187 mothers from maternal wards of the University Hospital of Oulu were studied with different questionnaires in the first postpartum week. Depressive symptoms were re-assessed with Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale four months postpartum when paternal depression was evaluated with Beck Depression Inventory. 16.2% of the women were immediately after delivery screened as being depressed. Four months postpartum 13.0% of the mothers were depressed whereas 5.1 % of the fathers were having depressive symptoms. The cumulative incidence of maternal postnatal depression within the first four months was 22.2%. These mothers who immediately showed depressive symptoms were at a higher risk to be depressed later. Maternal age 30 years or less predicted postnatal depression. The occurrence of maternal postnatal depression varied slightly during different seasons; during dark time immediate depressive symptoms increased and the spring seemed to protect from later postnatal depression. Analgesia during vaginal delivery, e.g. nitrous oxide, epidural analgesia or paracervical blockade, protected from postnatal depression as well. Caesarean section, either elective or emergency, did not predict postpartum mental well-being. Scores from the GHQ and the EPDS were strongly interrelated. Seven (5%) fathers were depressed four moths postpartum. They all were men whose partners also scored high in the EPDS. Those mothers who were depressed interpreted infant facial signals differently, seeing less joy, disgust and anger, but more sadness in the infant facial pictures. Cultural variability was found in complex blended facial features of emotions, e.g. distress, in the Infant Facial Expression from Looking at Picture scale, although remarkable agreement was achieved and reinforced. In the videotaped early mother-infant interaction small, but essential, changes were observed at 10 months postpartum. Overall, mothers who had had persistent depressive symptoms showed less negative expressions and had less anger and anxiety in their interaction. Their children were slightly less impulsive and seemed to have less visual and communicative contact with their mothers. The dyad was characterised by short periods of uninvolvement between the mother and the infant; e.g. the moments of reciprocity were less frequent than in the non-depressed mothers. At 42 months postpartum, the children of the persistently depressed mothers scored lower on the Expressive language scale than the children of the mothers who were depressed in one measurement or never.

Class of 2016 Abstract / Objectives: To evaluate the level of accuracy of medical information presented in the seventh season of the medical drama, House M.D. To assess the accuracy of the presentation, diagnostic procedures and treatment presented in season seven. Methods: A descriptive, retrospective assessment of the accuracy of all the episodes of the seventh season of House M.D. Three reviewers independently rated the accuracy (on a scale of one to four) for the presenting signs and symptoms, diagnostic procedures, and treatment in each episode. A rating of one meant a correct and usual representation while a rating of two indicated a correct but somewhat unusual representation. A three was given for a correct but extremely unusual representation and a rating of four indicated an incorrect representation. Each researcher independently rated the episodes, and an average for each rating was used for analysis. Results: Results of the ANOVA test demonstrated no statistically significance differences between the three dependent variables (p=0.0782), therefore the Tukey HSD post-hoc test was unnecessary. The average rating for the treatment variable was 2.17 (±1.19), whereas the average ratings for the signs and symptoms and diagnosis variables were 2.74 (±0.92), and 2.87 (±1.14), respectively. The ratings for the treatment variable were more accurate compared to the other two variables. Conclusions: All three dependent variables observed in season seven of House, MD were similar in regards to accuracy falling between a rating of 2.0-3.0 representing a correct but somewhat unusual to a correct and extremely unusual representation.

Nearly 20 studies conducted in the last 40 years indicate that tuberculosis (TB) represents a major health concern among migrant farm worker (MFW) populations, but their role in the transmission of TB within the broader community is poorly understood. To this end an ecological study was undertaken which examined 67 Florida counties between years 2009 through 2013. Its aims were as follows: (1) to describe the demographic, geographic, and temporal distribution of the incidence of active TB, (2) to examine the effect of agriculturally relevant seasonal periods on the incidence of active TB, and (3) to quantify the strength and direction of the association between the incidence of active TB and the quantity of MFWs at the county-level, while adjusting for known ecological risk factors. Secondary data was obtained from a total of eight government resources. Statistical analyses began with univariate and bivariate statistics, and this was followed by choropleth maps, Moran’s I, and hot spot analyses during the geographic analysis. Temporal analyses consisted of graphical methods examining TB incidence on annual, quarterly, monthly, and seasonal bases as well as regression modelling with repeated measures. Multivariate analyses were performed with a series of negative binomial regression models, one for each year of the study time period. The results indicated a lack of any geographic relationship between the clustering of high incidence counties and those with larger MFW populations. Incidence rates in counties with larger MFW populations seemed to follow a cyclic pattern in which increases occurred during the spring and early summer, but this seasonal pattern was neither consistent nor prominent throughout the study time frame. Similarly, multivariate analyses yielded no associations between TB incidence and the quantity of MFWs during the 5-year study period, although relationships were detected between TB incidence and other demographic and socioeconomic variables. Altogether there was insufficient evidence to conclude that MFW populations contribute to TB transmission in the broader communities that they occupy. In the absence of standard, reliable data sources reporting on MFW numbers, future inquiries into this matter would benefit from improved estimation strategies of MFW population sizes. Also, modelling may be enhanced by techniques adapted to spatial autocorrelation, and spatial scales finer than the county-level should be examined.

The phenomenon of seasonality of birth in schizophrenia is important in the study of the etiology of this mental disorder because it helps to give directions for further research. Patients' hospital files from 1981 to 1991 of two of the largest hospitals with psychiatric wards in Taiwan were reviewed, and dates of birth collected on 3346 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. After adjusting for the variations of the total monthly births in the population, an Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model was applied. Results support a seasonality phenomenon and indicate a disproportional excess of births in schizophrenia in the cold months (Nov. to Feb.) compared to the hot months (May to Aug.). These findings are compatible with many other studies in other countries and climates. Further investigations of season-related environmental factors in the etiology of schizophrenia are recommended.

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) populations have continually declined across much of their native range due to changes in land use and habitat. This notable decline causes concern for the future of this important game bird species and highlights the need for research on how habitat influences bobwhite vital rates. My research, conducted during 2018-2020 at Burning Star State Fish and Wildlife Area, addressed the following two objectives to provide information on how landcover characteristics influence bobwhite populations: (1) investigate how landcover characteristics influence annual bobwhite home range size, and (2) investigate how landcover characteristics influence bobwhite breeding season survival. For Objective 1, I radio-marked 113 individuals of which 50 bobwhites (31 males and 19 females) had ≥25 independent tracking locations and were used in my analyses. I modeled landcover types related to bobwhite habitat selection, habitat avoidance, foraging habitat, and protective cover to annual bobwhite home range size. Landcover types related to foraging habitat formed the most parsimonious model, with the proportion of grassland having the greatest negative influence on bobwhite home range size. As expected, landcover types that are thought to be beneficial to bobwhite fitness were negatively related to bobwhite home range size, suggesting those landcover types provide necessary resources for bobwhites throughout their full annual cycle. For Objective 2, I radio-marked 113 individuals of which 50 bobwhites (31 males and 19 females) had ≥25 independent tracking locations and were used in my analyses. I used a known fate model of the influence of landcover types, in a stepwise fashion, on bobwhite breeding season survival at two scales, home range and landscape. At the home range scale, the univariate model including early successional forest was the most parsimonious model, wherein the proportion of early successional forest negatively influenced bobwhite breeding season survival. Other competitive models included agriculture and early successional forest + scrub shrub where agriculture positively influenced breeding season survival while early successional forest and scrub shrub negatively influenced breeding season survival. The negative influence of landcover types thought to provide necessary protective cover for bobwhites on breeding season survival is inconsistent with the current paradigm that woody cover is an important habitat component that provides protective and escape cover, thermoregulatory functions, and midday loafing sites for bobwhites. Early successional forest provides visually appealing woody protective cover but appears to expose bobwhites to a higher predation risk because trees provide perch habitat for avian predators. Agriculture positively influenced breeding season survival because during the breeding season, agriculture provides overhead cover and bare ground that provides protective cover, foraging opportunities, and enables ease of movement. At the landscape scale, the null model was the most parsimonious model, but there was weak evidence that the proportion of grassland positively influenced breeding season survival. My study demonstrates how landcover composition influences annual home range size and breeding season survival at different scales.

High tunnels are used to modify the crop environment by trapping solar energy, providing protection from unfavorable weather events, and extending the growing season in temperate regions. This project assessed yield and quality in three independent cultivar trials of warm-season crops tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) grown under high tunnel production compared with an outdoor field in eastern and western North Dakota. Tomato yields in the high tunnel were increased by 1.4 times over the field trial yields. Yields from the pepper cultivar trials both inside the high tunnel and outside field were comparable to one another at 1.24 kg plant-1 and 1.06 kg plant-1, respectively. Cucumber yields in the high tunnel were increased by 1.7 times over the field trial yields. Results indicate that in North Dakota, high tunnels extended the growing season, and increased production relative to field conditions.

Rehabilitation of deteriorated and abused range lands is being accomplished with greater success each year by the aid of better methods of seeding which include seedbed preparation, intensities of seeding, implements for planting and improvised methods of eliminating competition. Much more information is needed however in order to recommend suitable methods and species for seeding various vegetation types and genes with reasonable reliability. Throughout the arid and semi-arid range lands, moisture is the principal factor limiting satisfactory seedling establishment. Special attention should therefore be given to more efficient utilization of the moisture supply. Closely related species of species with similar growth characteristics are said to compete for more water, for space and for nutrients; therefore, studies dealing with the effect of spacing and intensity of seeding upon seedling establishment are of paramount importance.

The objective of these studies was to design an optimal nutritional supplement suitable for grazing horses using fat and fiber to replace the grain and molasses in the traditional sweet feed. Thoroughbred mares and foals grazing bluegrass/clover pastures were used in these studies, twenty mares and their foals in 1994 to 1995, and twenty mares and foals in 1995 to 1996. Seasonal variation in pasture was examined, and the need for supplementation of nutrients and fibers was assessed. The nutritional status of grazing mares, foals, weanlings and yearlings, fed either a starch and sugar supplement (SS) or a fat and fiber supplement (FF), was examined using growth measurements, radiographic bone evaluations, milk composition and glucose tolerance tests. These studies suggest that fiber may be an important component of an ideal supplement for improved grass/legume pastures. Seasonal variation in pasture indicated an increase in hydrolyzable and rapidly fermed carbohydrates during periods of rapid growth. The FF supplement may have buffered seasonal changes and the increased hydrolyzable carbohydrate content in rapidly growing pasture, as evidenced by smoother growth curves in the yearlings. Young horses, after weaning until the following May, had lower estimated bone mineral content when fed the FF supplement. The lower bone mineral content in the FF supplemented horses may have been due to decreased absorption of calcium or metabolic and hormonal changes associated with adaptation to the different energy sources in the supplements. Milk composition of FF supplemented mares was influenced in ways likely to improve foal health. The FF supplemented mares had enhanced linoleic acid content, which may reduce the risk of gastric ulcers in foals, and increased immunoglobulin G concentration, which may enhance passive immunity. The carbohydrate status of mares, as assessed by glucose tolerance tests, indicated a slower glucose clearance that could be a metabolic adaptation of the mares to the SS and FF supplements. / Ph. D.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional profile of mono- or multi-species pastures of native warm season grasses. One of four treatments were randomly assigned to Twelve pastures: 1) BG; 2) IG; 3) Mix G; 4) Mix NG. Growing steers (n = 225) were randomly assigned to one of nine pastures. Grass samples were taken from all pastures every 28 days during a four-month period and were analyzed for nutrient composition. Bermudagrass pastures had greater crude protein and ADF, but less NDF concentrations compared with the native warm-season grasses. Crude protein, IVDMD, and NDF IVDMD concentration decreased while NDF, ADF, and Hemicellulose concentration increased as grasses matured. Steers grazing IG and Mix G pastures gained more weight and consumed more forage than those on BG pastures. It appears that native warm-season grasses may offer a viable alternative to BG for grazing cattle during the summer.

Individual and multiple stress factor effects of temperature on cotton growth and development were studied in four cotton cultivars. In Experiment I, seedling emergence rate and shoot and root morphological growth traits were measured on plants grown at five day/night temperatures from 20/12 to 40/32 °C. In Experiment II, multiple stress factors (CO2, temperature, UV-B radiation) and their interactions were evaluated during the seedling growth stage. Seed emergence and above- and below-ground growth and developmental traits were recorded in both experiments. Linear (TM-1 and PHY496W3R) and quadratic (DP1522B2XF and ST47447) functions best described seed emergence rate with an increase in temperature. Similar responses were also observed for many root traits among the cultivars. Based on vigor and principal component analysis, DP1522B2XF was identified as the most tolerant, PHY496W3R and ST4747GLB2 as moderately tolerant, and TM-1 as the least tolerant cultivar to multiple environmental stresses.