Quarantunes

Myself and 3 long time music obsessed friends of mine currently spread out over Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Seattle have been compiling pandemic themed collaborative playlists on Spotify. We started with one playlist and after we got to over four hours of music, we decided to start a second volume. We\u27re currently working on volume four. The songs are included because of lyrics and/or title or because of feelings they provoke or some combination thereof. The only rule is that you can\u27t use songs suggested by the Spotify algorithm. Playlists are publicly available after we finish them. Including links here to the first three volumes along with screen shots of the lists.https://digital.kenyon.edu/covid19words/1053/thumbnail.jp

Assessment of total retinal blood flow using Doppler Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography during systemic hypercapnia and hypocapnia.

The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in total retinal blood flow (RBF) using Doppler Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (Doppler FD-OCT) in response to the manipulation of systemic partial pressure of CO2 (PETCO2). Double circular Doppler blood flow scans were captured in nine healthy individuals (mean age ± standard deviation: 27.1 ± 4.1, six males) using the RTVue(™) FD-OCT (Optovue). PETCO2 was manipulated using a custom-designed computer-controlled gas blender (RespirAct(™)) connected to a sequential gas delivery rebreathing circuit. Doppler FD-OCT measurements were captured at baseline, during stages of hypercapnia (+5/+10/+15 mmHg PETCO2), return to baseline and during stages of hypocapnia (-5/-10/-15 mmHg PETCO2). Repeated measures analysis of variance (reANOVA) and Tukeys post hoc analysis were used to compare Doppler FD-OCT measurements between the various PETCO2 levels relative to baseline. The effect of PETCO2 on TRBF was also investigated using linear regression models. The average RBF significantly increased by 15% (P < 0.0001) with an increase in PETCO2 and decreased significantly by 10% with a decrease in PETCO2 (P = 0.001). Venous velocity significantly increased by 3.11% from baseline to extreme hypercapnia (P < 0.001) and reduced significantly by 2.01% at extreme hypocapnia (P = 0.012). No significant changes were found in the average venous area measurements under hypercapnia (P = 0.36) or hypocapnia (P = 0.40). Overall, increased and decreased PETCO2 values had a significant effect on RBF outcomes (P < 0.002). In healthy individuals, altered end-tidal CO2 levels significantly changed RBF as measured by Doppler FD-OCT

Big data and the dairy cow: factors affecting fertility in UK herds

Routinely collected herd management data in a variety of formats were collated from 468 dairy herds, and novel objective measures of data recording quality were developed and applied. This revealed that there was a substantial amount of variation in data quality between herds, and the vast majority of herds failed to meet the threshold level for at least one of the data quality measures used. Analysis of trends in reproductive performance across the herds with good quality fertility event recording suggested that their fertility was generally declining through the first half of the 2000s, but there was some evidence that improvements in submission rate were beginning to reverse this decline in the later years studied (up to 2007). Associations between reproduction and two endemic diseases common in dairy cattle (mastitis and lameness) were explored using multilevel discrete time survival modelling, and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) used to contextualise and illustrate the results. In both cases, statistical modelling revealed significant and sizeable associations between disease events and reproductive outcomes at lactation level. However, simulation and application of PSA showed that a herd’s incidence rate of either disease was highly unlikely to influence its overall reproductive performance to a clinically relevant degree when other inputs to herd fertility were also considered. Factors associated with the proportion of serves leading to a pregnancy (pregnancy rate) were explored using multilevel logistic regression modelling. This revealed that relatively little of the variation in herd pregnancy rate is explainable by routinely recorded milk recording data (including constituent concentration in early lactation as well as daily and lactation yields). A large amount of the unexplained variation was revealed to be at herd level and very little at cow level, suggesting that investigation of herd management practices associated with pregnancy rate would be rewarding

Big data and the dairy cow: factors affecting fertility in UK herds

Routinely collected herd management data in a variety of formats were collated from 468 dairy herds, and novel objective measures of data recording quality were developed and applied. This revealed that there was a substantial amount of variation in data quality between herds, and the vast majority of herds failed to meet the threshold level for at least one of the data quality measures used. Analysis of trends in reproductive performance across the herds with good quality fertility event recording suggested that their fertility was generally declining through the first half of the 2000s, but there was some evidence that improvements in submission rate were beginning to reverse this decline in the later years studied (up to 2007). Associations between reproduction and two endemic diseases common in dairy cattle (mastitis and lameness) were explored using multilevel discrete time survival modelling, and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) used to contextualise and illustrate the results. In both cases, statistical modelling revealed significant and sizeable associations between disease events and reproductive outcomes at lactation level. However, simulation and application of PSA showed that a herd’s incidence rate of either disease was highly unlikely to influence its overall reproductive performance to a clinically relevant degree when other inputs to herd fertility were also considered. Factors associated with the proportion of serves leading to a pregnancy (pregnancy rate) were explored using multilevel logistic regression modelling. This revealed that relatively little of the variation in herd pregnancy rate is explainable by routinely recorded milk recording data (including constituent concentration in early lactation as well as daily and lactation yields). A large amount of the unexplained variation was revealed to be at herd level and very little at cow level, suggesting that investigation of herd management practices associated with pregnancy rate would be rewarding

Leadership and Change in Asia-Pacific: Where Does Political Will Come From?

We introduce this thematic issue by exploring the role of leadership in social and political change. In current times, the importance of leadership and choice has proved as important as ever. Leadership is often the critical variable separating success or failure, legitimacy and sustainability or collapse. This thematic issue explores a range of in-depth case studies across the Asia-Pacific region that help illustrate the critical elements of leadership. Collectively they demonstrate that leadership is best understood as a collective process involving motivated agents overcoming barriers to cooperation to form coalitions that have enough power, legitimacy and influence to transform institutions. Five themes emerge from the thematic issue as a whole: leadership is political; the centrality of gender relations; the need for a more critical localism; scalar politics; and the importance of understanding informal processes of leadership and social change

THE EFFECT OF STEP WIDTH CONTROL ON LOAD CARRIAGE ECONOMY

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of step width on load carriage economy. Fifteen healthy volunteers (age = 25 ± 3 years; stature = 1.78 ± 0.07 m; body mass = 73.6 ± 10.1 kg) completed three trials in a randomised order. Each trial differed by load carriage method and involved walking on a force-instrumented at 3km.h-1 with 0, 3, 12 and 20 kg. This protocol was then repeated with step width controlled to each participant’s preferred unloaded width. Relative load carriage economy was measured using the Extra Load Index (ELI). Load carriage economy was significantly worse in the head loading method compared to the other two method with step width uncontrolled (p = 0.02) and controlled (p = 0.02). For the trials where step width was uncontrolled, there was a significant difference in step width from unloaded walking between the different loading methods (p = 0.01) but no significant difference between load mass (p = 0.39). There was no difference in ELI between preferred and controlled step widths. Based on the data presented here, moderate alterations in step width caused by load carriage do not appear to influence load carriage economy

Medical student wellbeing - a consensus statement from Australia and New Zealand

Abstract Background Medical student wellbeing – a consensus statement from Australia and New Zealand outlines recommendations for optimising medical student wellbeing within medical schools in our region. Worldwide, medical schools have responsibilities to respond to concerns about student psychological, social and physical wellbeing, but guidance for medical schools is limited. To address this gap, this statement clarifies key concepts and issues related to wellbeing and provides recommendations for educational program design to promote both learning and student wellbeing. The recommendations focus on student selection; learning, teaching and assessment; learning environment; and staff development. Examples of educational initiatives from the evidence-base are provided, emphasising proactive and preventive approaches to student wellbeing. Main recommendations The consensus statement provides specific recommendations for medical schools to consider at all stages of program design and implementation. These are:Design curricula that promote peer support and progressive levels of challenge to students.Employ strategies to promote positive outcomes from stress and to help others in need.Design assessment tasks to foster wellbeing as well as learning.Provide mental health promotion and suicide prevention initiatives.Provide physical health promotion initiatives.Ensure safe and health-promoting cultures for learning in on-campus and clinical settings.Train staff on student wellbeing and how to manage wellbeing concerns. Conclusion A broad integrated approach to improving student wellbeing within medical school programs is recommended. Medical schools should work cooperatively with student and trainee groups, and partner with clinical services and other training bodies to foster safe practices and cultures. Initiatives should aim to assist students to develop adaptive responses to stressful situations so that graduates are prepared for the realities of the workplace. Multi-institutional, longitudinal collaborative research in Australia and New Zealand is needed to close critical gaps in the evidence needed by medical schools in our region

Antimicrobial use practices and opinions of beef farmers in England and Wales

© British Veterinary Association. Background Limited research exists on antimicrobial use practices of beef farmers. This study aimed to investigate antimicrobial practices and perceptions of beef farmers in England and Wales, and identify drivers of higher antimicrobial use for treatment of bovine pneumonia. Methods A survey was sent out in 2017 to beef farmers in England and Wales who supply to two abattoirs. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data. A logistic regression model was built to determine factors associated with treating greater than 5 per cent of the predominant group in the herd with antimicrobials for pneumonia. Results There were a total of 171 useable responses. Most farmers reported using antimicrobials in less than 5 per cent of their herd for the treatment of common diseases. Most farmers (90 per cent) reported that they understood what antimicrobial resistance means, but only 55 per cent were aware of critically important antimicrobials and 9 per cent could name at least one critically important antimicrobial. Having a calf-rearing enterprise and not considering Johne's disease when buying in cattle were associated with using antimicrobials to treat pneumonia in greater than 5 per cent of the predominant group in the herd. Conclusion Self-reported antimicrobial use appears to be low in beef farms. However, some gaps in understanding aspects of antimicrobial stewardship by farmers were identified