Hearing in the Juvenile Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas): A Comparison of Underwater and Aerial Hearing Using Auditory Evoked Potentials

Sea turtles spend much of their life in aquatic environments, but critical portions of their life cycle, such as nesting and hatching, occur in terrestrial environments, suggesting that it may be important for them to detect sounds in both air and water. In this study we compared underwater and aerial hearing sensitivities in five juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) by measuring auditory evoked potential responses to tone pip stimuli. Green sea turtles detected acoustic stimuli in both media, responding to underwater stimuli between 50 and 1600 Hz and aerial stimuli between 50 and 800 Hz, with maximum sensitivity between 200 and 400 Hz underwater and 300 and 400 Hz in air. When underwater and aerial hearing sensitivities were compared in terms of pressure, green sea turtle aerial sound pressure thresholds were lower than underwater thresholds, however they detected a wider range of frequencies underwater. When thresholds were compared in terms of sound intensity, green sea turtle sound intensity level thresholds were 2–39 dB lower underwater particularly at frequencies below 400 Hz. Acoustic stimuli may provide important environmental cues for sea turtles. Further research is needed to determine how sea turtles behaviorally and physiologically respond to sounds in their environment

The Migration of Mod: Analysing the Mod Subculture in the North of England

In its present form Mod is regarded as a national and global subculture intrinsically linked to British culture. Richard Weight has claimed that Mod is ‘Britain’s biggest youth movement.’1 A statement which holds true, as since its emergence in London’s East End in the late 1950s, the subculture has grown substantially. However, for many, Mod is still seen as a “southern phenomenon” associated with “swinging London” and the bank holiday beach battles, resulting in it being represented as a 1960s London “fad”.2 Bar a handful of publications such as Keith Gildart’s Images of England Through Popular Music, and Christine Feldman’s “We are the Mods”, most of the academic literature on the Mod subculture is plagued by these two assumptions. As such, both the academic and general literature present a partial view of the culture in terms of a 1960s monolithic London-based scene. While it would be fair to say that the Mod subculture did begin in the late 1950s in London, as Anderson rightly suggests, ‘it soon rampaged across the country like a speed-fuelled plague,’3 becoming nationwide by 1964, even if the media did not recognise it as a national scene. Mod was adopted by teenagers in the North during the sixties and re-emerged in greater numbers during the Revival of the late 1970s. Rawlings argues Mods are ‘the only group readily embraced by different generations,’ as its original values have ‘transcended their early Sixties origins’ being ‘rediscovered, redeveloped and renewed’ by successive ‘tribes of “New Mods”.’4 The period of the Mod Revival in the late 1970s through to the early 1980s, despite its clear importance as a period of increased Mod activity, has been overlooked by the academic community. The focus on London and its surrounding areas has also led to there being little to no focus on Mod in the North. Using a myriad of primary sources this dissertation combines oral history interviews with archival methods to address this imbalance, analysing the two areas of Mod subculture that has had little academic analysis, Mods in the North of England during the Revival. 1 Weight, R. (2013). MOD: From Bebop to Britpop, Britain’s biggest youth movement. London: Vintage. 2 Hebdige, D. (1988). Hiding in the light: On images and things. London: Routledge. Page 109. 3 Anderson, P. (2014). Mods the new religion: The style and music of the 1960s Mods. London: Omnibus press. Blurb. 4 Rawlings, T., & Barnes, R. (2000). MOD: Clean living under difficult circumstances: A very British phenomenon. London: Omnibus Press. Page 5

The Impact of Previous Cardiology Electives on Canadian Medical Student Interest and Understanding of Cardiology

Background: Most Canadian medical schools do not have mandatory cardiology rotations. Early exposure to clinical cardiology aids career navigation, but clerkship selectives are chosen during pre-clerkship. This study investigates whether prior elective experiences affect medical student interest as well as understanding of cardiology before clerkship selections. Methods: A literature search was conducted using Google Scholar, Embase and PubMed to create an evidence-based cross-sectional survey. The anonymous questionnaire was administered to 53 second-year medical students at a Canadian medical school via Opinio, an online survey platform. Students were assessed on their interest and understanding of cardiology practice using a 5-point Likert Scale. Descriptive statistics and Chi-Square analysis were applied to assess the relationship between previous elective experience, medical student interest, and understanding of career-related factors pertaining to cardiology. Results: Overall, 26 (49.1%) students reported cardiology interest, while it was a preferred specialty for 9 (17.0%). Medical students reported low understanding of community practice (n=20, 37.7%), duration of patient relationships (n=14, 26.4%), spectrum of disorders (n=13, 24.5%), and in-patient care (n=11, 20.8%) associated with cardiology practice. Students with prior cardiology electives had increased understanding of in-patient care (?2 = 4.688, Cramer’s V = 0.297, p = 0.030 and were more likely to select cardiology as a top specialty choice (?2 = 7.983, Cramer’s V = 0.388, p = 0.005). Conclusions: Pre-clerkship medical students have a low understanding of cardiology practice. Increasing pre-clerkship exposure to cardiology may help students determine their interest in the specialty before clerkship selectives are chosen

Application rates to surgical residency programs in Canada

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify if the previously reported declining interest in surgery amongst medical students persists, and also to provide more descriptive analysis of trends by surgical specialty and medical school. Our hypothesis is that the previously reported decreasing interest in surgery remains constant for some surgical disciplines. Methods: The Canadian Resident Matching Service and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada provided data for this study. Several metrics of interest in surgery, including overall application trends, applications by discipline, and rankings by school of graduation were evaluated. Descriptive statistics and linear regression modeling were used.  Results: Between 2007 and 2017 the number of non-surgical residency positions and Canadian medical graduates increased significantly. However, the number of surgical residency positions and applications to surgical programs did not change significantly. The number of rankings to orthopedic and vascular surgery decreased significantly.  Likewise, applicants to general, orthopedic, plastic, otolaryngology, and vascular surgery decreased significantly. Vascular surgery saw a significant decrease in first choice rankings.  Total rankings to surgical programs increased significantly at McGill, with no significant change at other Canadian institutions.  Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that while the number of applicants to surgical residency positions has been consistent, it is not keeping pace with the growing number of both CMGs and non-surgical residency positions. Furthermore, by using other measures of medical student interest in surgical specialties, such as the total number of rankings to a specialty through the residency matching process, the total number of applicants applying to a surgical discipline and the total number of first choice ranks that each surgical discipline received, we have demonstrated that there is a possible declining interest in some surgical disciplines.&nbsp

Observations of the Gas Reservoir around a Star Forming Galaxy in the Early Universe

We present a high signal-to-noise spectrum of a bright galaxy at z = 4.9 in 14 h of integration on VLT FORS2. This galaxy is extremely bright, i_850 = 23.10 +/- 0.01, and is strongly-lensed by the foreground massive galaxy cluster Abell 1689 (z=0.18). Stellar continuum is seen longward of the Ly-alpha emission line at ~7100 \AA, while intergalactic H I produces strong absorption shortward of Ly-alpha. Two transmission spikes at ~6800 Angstroms (A) and ~7040 A are also visible, along with other structures at shorter wavelengths. Although fainter than a QSO, the absence of a strong central ultraviolet flux source in this star forming galaxy enables a measurement of the H I flux transmission in the intergalactic medium (IGM) in the vicinity of a high redshift object. We find that the effective H I optical depth of the IGM is remarkably high within a large 14 Mpc (physical) region surrounding the galaxy compared to that seen towards QSOs at similar redshifts. Evidently, this high-redshift galaxy is located in a region of space where the amount of H I is much larger than that seen at similar epochs in the diffuse IGM. We argue that observations of high-redshift galaxies like this one provide unique insights on the nascent stages of baryonic large-scale structures that evolve into the filamentary cosmic web of galaxies and clusters of galaxies observed in the present universe.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL (corrected typos

Adolescent mental health research in Tanzania: a study protocol for a priority setting exercise and the development of an interinstitutional capacity strengthening programme

INTRODUCTION: Poor adolescent mental health is a barrier to achieving several sustainable development goals in Tanzania, where adolescent mental health infrastructure is weak. This is compounded by a lack of community and policy maker awareness or understanding of its burden, causes and solutions. Research addressing these knowledge gaps is urgently needed. However, capacity for adolescent mental health research in Tanzania remains limited. The existence of a National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), with a nationwide mandate for research conduct and oversight, presents an opportunity to catalyse activity in this neglected area. Rigorous research priority setting, which includes key stakeholders, can promote efficient use of limited resources and improve both quality and uptake of research by ensuring that it meets the needs of target populations and policy makers. We present a protocol for such a research priority setting study and how it informs the design of an interinstitutional adolescent mental health research capacity strengthening strategy in Tanzania. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: From May 2021, this 6 month mixed-methods study will adapt and merge the James Lind Alliance approach and validated capacity strengthening methodologies to identify priorities for research and research capacity strengthening in adolescent mental health in Tanzania. Specifically, it will use online questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, focus groups, scoping reviews and a consensus meeting to consult expert and adolescent stakeholders. Key evidence-informed priorities will be collaboratively ranked and documented and an integrated strategy to address capacity gaps will be designed to align with the nationwide infrastructure and overall strategy of NIMR. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: National and institutional review board approvals were sought and granted from the National Health Research Ethics Committee of the NIMR Medical Research Coordinating Committee (Tanzania) and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (United Kingdom). Results will be disseminated through a national workshop involving all stakeholders, through ongoing collaborations and published commentaries, reviews, policy briefs, webinars and social media

To manage a complex dependency: The experience of caregiving after a fall

Aim: To understand the experience of family members of an older relative who has had a fall which required medical attention. Background: There is abundant bibliography in caregiving, but little is known about the problems faced by caregivers and how family members cope when their older relative has a fall. Design: Qualitative study that used a symbolic interactionism perspective. Methods: Twenty‐two people with older relatives, who had had a fall and contacted health services in Spain, participated in the study. Data were obtained via written accounts, focus groups, and semi‐structured interviews between February 2014 ‐ December 2015. Analysis was guided by grounded theory procedures. Results: With the fall, dependency becomes a complex issue for the family. To manage a complex dependency is the core issue that emerges from the data analysis. It depicts family efforts to assist their relative in gaining autonomy after a fall, in the best conditions they can provide. They do this with little guidance and support from healthcare professionals. Conclusions: Guides and protocols for the care of a fragile older person, particularly after a fall, should not only include care but also support to caregivers. Health professionals and especially nurses need to be aware and respond to the family caregivers needs after a fall. To the fall prevention initiatives already in place, it must be added that those who support family members to cope with the care of an older person who has had a fall.Authors receive funds to conduct this research from the Nursing Scientific Association of Spain (SCELE), Charo Palencia Grant

The cost of large numbers of hypothesis tests on power, effect size and sample size

Advances in high-throughput biology and computer science are driving an exponential increase in the number of hypothesis tests in genomics and other scientific disciplines. Studies using current genotyping platforms frequently include a million or more tests. In addition to the monetary cost, this increase imposes a statistical cost owing to the multiple testing corrections needed to avoid large numbers of false-positive results. To safeguard against the resulting loss of power, some have suggested sample sizes on the order of tens of thousands that can be impractical for many diseases or may lower the quality of phenotypic measurements. This study examines the relationship between the number of tests on the one hand and power, detectable effect size or required sample size on the other. We show that once the number of tests is large, power can be maintained at a constant level, with comparatively small increases in the effect size or sample size. For example at the 0.05 significance level, a 13% increase in sample size is needed to maintain 80% power for ten million tests compared with one million tests, whereas a 70% increase in sample size is needed for 10 tests compared with a single test. Relative costs are less when measured by increases in the detectable effect size. We provide an interactive Excel calculator to compute power, effect size or sample size when comparing study designs or genome platforms involving different numbers of hypothesis tests. The results are reassuring in an era of extreme multiple testing