Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Researching feral horse ecology and behavior: turning political debate into opportunity

Funding for biological research on feral horse populations is often motivated by political debate. Thus, research may start too late to contribute substantially to decisions about population monitoring and management, or to resolve public debate. Feral horse man- agement problems are largely political, economic, and cultural, not biological. Consequently, biologists are often employed to address questions peripheral to the debate. Politicians, managers, and the public demand quick answers, yet the progress of wildlife research is slow. These circumstances may provide a challenge for biologists who must juggle contractual obligations, public responsibilities, and personal publishing goals. We describe our experience researching Kaimanawa feral horse behavior and ecology in New Zealand as a case study in coping with this dilemma. We suggest that research biologists serve their funding body, the public, and colleagues best if they ini- tially relegate the apparently more pressing questions arising from public debate or stip- ulated by the research contract by giving priority to basic questions of animal behavior, ecology, and population biology. We suggest that research funding agencies get better value for their money if they design research contracts that allow researchers the flexibil- ity to take this approach. In our study, this approach led to important, but unforeseeable, results allowing us to understand variation in feral horse biology with direct implications for management. We would have missed those opportunities to extend knowledge and make conceptual advances if we had just followed the prosaic aims of the contracted research. As with all science, advances in understanding behavior, ecology, welfare, and management of horses depend on researchers looking outside the narrow and short-term perspectives of contractual research and public debate.
Lack of Evidence for Presenilins as Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ Leak Channels*

Background: Presenilins (PS) were proposed to form endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ channels, with their function disrupted in familial Alzheimer disease (FAD). Results: We found no evidence to support this but identified a technical artifact that led to the previous proposal. Conclusion: PS do not form endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ channels. Significance: Exaggerated Ca2+ signaling in FAD is not caused by lack of PS Ca2+ channel function. Familial Alzheimer disease (FAD) is linked to mutations in the presenilin (PS) homologs. FAD mutant PS expression has several cellular consequences, including exaggerated intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) signaling due to enhanced agonist sensitivity and increased magnitude of [Ca2+]i signals. The mechanisms underlying these phenomena remain controversial. It has been proposed that PSs are constitutively active, passive endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ leak channels and that FAD PS mutations disrupt this function resulting in ER store overfilling that increases the driving force for release upon ER Ca2+ release channel opening. To investigate this hypothesis, we employed multiple Ca2+ imaging protocols and indicators to directly measure ER Ca2+ dynamics in several cell systems. However, we did not observe consistent evidence that PSs act as ER Ca2+ leak channels. Nevertheless, we confirmed observations made using indirect measurements employed in previous reports that proposed this hypothesis. Specifically, cells lacking PS or expressing a FAD-linked PS mutation displayed increased area under the ionomycin-induced [Ca2+]i versus time curve (AI) compared with cells expressing WT PS. However, an ER-targeted Ca2+ indicator revealed that this did not reflect overloaded ER stores. Monensin pretreatment selectively attenuated the AI in cells lacking PS or expressing a FAD PS allele. These findings contradict the hypothesis that PSs form ER Ca2+ leak channels and highlight the need to use ER-targeted Ca2+ indicators when studying ER Ca2+ dynamics.
Survey of reasons for discontinuation from in vitro fertilization treatment among couples attending infertility clinic

BACKGROUND: With the increase in infertility burden, more and more couples are opting for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Despite the availability of various treatment options, the major concern that needs to be addressed is the reasons why such couples, initially motivated so strongly, drop out in fairly high numbers from IVF cycles. With this point of view the study was designed. AIM: The objective of this study was to explore the reasons why couples discontinue fertility treatment. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This retrospective study was carried out among couples in the age group of 20-40 years who opted for IVF at Tertiary care hospital and a private infertility center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records for 3 years (2009-2012) were taken out and included in the study for analysis. Socio-demographic details along with indication for IVF and reasons for drop-separate IVF therapy were recorded on case record form and were analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-one percent of the patients had tubal pathology, thus making it the commonest female related factor for indication of IVF. Oligoasthenospermia (13%) was the commonest cause of male related infertility factor. Financial burden was the primary cause for terminating treatment in majority of the IVF cases. CONCLUSIONS: Financial burden (62.5%) was the commonest reason for drop out among couples from IVF cycle.
Male pattern androgenetic alopecia in an Indian context: a perspective study

Background Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) has received scant attention, despite it being a common entity that may result in significant psychosocial morbidity. There are some patients who do not fit into any of the proposed types. Moreover, there have been no published studies of pattern and prevalence of AGA in males in an Indian context. Hence, the present study was an attempt to classify AGA in males with the aim of producing a simple, effective and easily reproducible classification.
The NEGIT: A surface-controlled negative impedance transistor

A Negative impedance transistor (NEGIT) is realized by controlling base surface recombination in a bipolar transistor by biasing a gate on the oxide over the emitter-base junction. This gate is attached to the collector by conventional metallization. As VCEincreases, the active region is robbed of base current causing ICto decrease. It is shown theoretically, and confirmed experimentally, that both the magnitude of the effect and the voltage range over which the negative resistance occurs, depend strongly on base oxide thickness and base surface doping, and are dominated by the base surface immediately adjacent to the emitter-base junction. Thus very small area devices are possible in both discrete and IC versions, for either high or low voltage operation, with only minor changes in existing technology. Although only sample applications are shown, and frequencies employed only up to 11 MHz, a wide variety of applications are possible.
Importance of the geographic barriers to promote gene drift and avoid pre- and post-Columbian gene flow in Mexican native groups: Evidence from forensic STR Loci.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the origin, structure, relationships, and recent admixture in Mexican Native groups based on 15 STRs commonly used in human identification. METHODS We analyzed 39 Mexican Native population samples using STR databases based on the AmpFlSTR® Identifiler kit (n = 3,135), including Mexican-Mestizos (admixed), European and African populations, as reference. RESULTS Based upon effective population size (Ne) differences, Native groups were clustered into three regions: i) Center-Southeast groups, characterized by larger Ne, migration rate (Nm), genetic diversity (He), and relative homogeneity principally in the Yucatan Peninsula; ii) Isolated southern groups from Chiapas and Oaxaca, characterized by lower Ne, Nm, and He (i.e. higher isolation and genetic differentiation); iii) North-Northwest groups, which are similar to the previous group but are characterized by generating the widest gene flow barrier in the Pre-Hispanic Mexican territory, and currently by elevated admixture in some northern Native groups. Despite the relative congruence between genetic relationships with cultural, linguistic, geographic criteria, these factors do not explain the present-day population structure of Native groups, excepting in those linguistically related to the Mayan that show higher homogeneity. The Isolation by distance model was demonstrated at long distances (>1,500 km), whereas geographic isolation stands as a determining factor to avoid both non-indigenous admixture and bottleneck processes. CONCLUSIONS Different dynamics of gene flow and drift were observed among Mexican Native groups, highlighting the geographic barriers (mountains, canyons and jungle regions) as the main factor differentiating Pre-Hispanic populations, and eventually helping to avoid Post-European contact admixture and population bottleneck. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:298-316, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Financial Reporting Irregularities in Indian Public Sector Units: An Analysis of Current Practices

In search of a unifying measurement and reporting feature of accounting elements, this study analyzes the best practice efficiency as an operating parameter of the public enterprises in India with the help of a DEA sensitivity technique and then empirically evaluates how the interrelatedness of the elements in financials may help in congregating the warning signs of accounting irregularities using the F-Score testimony. The study lends support to how the elements in accounting statements support each other and how this inkling can be used to detect irregularities and highlight where more questions are warranted. Using the decision variables of 44 public enterprises {Turnover (T), Earning (P), and Research Expenditure (R)} the best practice status on the basis of efficiency score is evaluated to see whether a change in value of decisive factor significantly affects the performance grade between the enterprises under study and accordingly enterprises are categorized to detect accounting irregularities. Though no method to detect financial irregularities is full proof, but the findings evidently show that the public enterprises in India in general are not engaged in accounting games due to moderate profitability, strong liquidity and effective operating efficiency, and hence the possible motives for manipulating financial information is almost absent in 14 enterprises and more specifically the warning signs are completely absent when they optimize combined effect of decision variables.
Entrepreneurship in Teacher Education: Issues, Trends and Prospects

This paper asserted that teachers are expected to produce not just job seekers but job creators, and in order to meet this challenge, an increasing number of countries, including Nigeria, are introducing entrepreneurship education. This therefore, calls for entrepreneurship education for teacher preparation in Nigeria. The paper critically examines teacher education for entrepreneurship education and chats out the paths for entrepreneurship education in school curricular and related pedagogy. The paper concluded that for teachers to engage in entrepreneurship education as regards both content and teaching and learning methods, a complex combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes are required. All the prospects for entrepreneurship education for teachers need to be synchronized around the goals of creating the right conditions for the development of entrepreneurial teachers. Action is required not only within teacher education systems but more broadly within education systems as a whole to ensure that what teachers learn within their initial education is translated into a new role in day-to-day practice in schools.
Declines in Smokers' Understanding of Tobacco's Hazards Between 1986 and 1998: A Report From North Georgia

Background. The prevalence of smoking in the general US population has declined significantly over the past few decades. Despite this, few studies have examined changes in cigarette attributes perceived by less educated, rural, or southern populations. Methods. A survey was administered to individuals in clinic waiting rooms of two small cities in northwest Georgia in 1986-1987 and 1997-1998. Results. Smokers surveyed in 1997-1998 ascribed more positive characteristics and fewer health risks and other negative characteristics to smoking than did smokers surveyed in 1986-1987. However, nonsmokers in 1997-1998 were more likely than nonsmokers in 1986-1987 to consider smoking to be negative and offensive, and ex-smokers in the second survey were more likely than ex-smokers in the first survey to consider smoking to be addictive. Conclusions. While substantial successes have been made in improving smoking cessation rates nationally, efforts to further reduce rates by changing smokers' perceptions may require new strategies for some populations.
An Open Source Tool for Heart Rate Variability Wavelet-based Spectral Analysis

Heart rate variability (HRV) power spectrum analysis is a well-known technique used to study the activity of the autonomic nervous system. It is performed by calculating the spectral power of certain bands of the RR time series. There are several tools that perform this type of analysis: Kubios HRV, PhysioNet's HRV toolkit for MatLab and aHRV, among others. All these tools use the Short Fourier Transform to estimate spectral power. However, the RR time series is a non-stationary signal. The Wavelet transform is often a more suitable tool for analyzing non-stationary signals than the Short Time Fourier Transform. Its usefulness in HRV analysis has already been proven in the literature. However, the lack of HRV analysis tools that support it has made this technique underutilized in HRV studies. In this paper we present an extension to the RHRV opensource package that enables Wavelet-based HRV spectral analysis. Until now this package only supported HRV spectral analysis based on the Fourier transform.
Protective and Destructive Immunity in the Periodontium: Part 2—T-cell-mediated Immunity in the Periodontium

Based on the results of recent research in the field and Part 1 of this article (in this issue), the present paper will discuss the protective and destructive aspects of the T-cell-mediated adaptive immunity associated with the bacterial virulent factors or antigenic determinants during periodontal pathogenesis. Attention will be focused on: (i) osteoimmunology and periodontal disease; (ii) some molecular techniques developed and applied to identify critical microbial virulence factors or antigens associated with host immunity (with Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis as the model species); and (iii) summarizing the identified virulence factors/antigens associated with periodontal immunity. Thus, further understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the host’s T-cell-mediated immune responses and the critical microbial antigens related to disease pathogenesis will facilitate the development of novel therapeutics or protocols for future periodontal treatments. Abbreviations used in the paper are as follows: A. actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans; Ab, antibody; DC, dendritic cells; mAb, monoclonal antibody; pAb, polyclonal antibody; OC, osteoclast; PAMP, pathogen-associated molecular patterns; P. gingivalis (Pg), Porphyromonas gingivalis; RANK, receptor activator of NF-κB; RANKL, receptor activator of NF-κB ligand; OPG, osteoprotegerin; TCR, T-cell-receptors; TLR, Toll-like receptors.
The Sound Access Parent Outcomes Instrument (SAPOI): Construction of a new instrument for children with severe multiple disabilities who use cochlear implants or hearing aids

Objective: To report on the Phase 2 development of the Sound Access Parent Outcomes Instrument (SAPOI), a new instrument focused on formalizing outcomes that parents of children with severe multiple disabilities (SMD) who use amplification prioritize as important. Methods: Phase 2 of this project involved item selection and refinement of the SAPOI based on (a) Phase 1 study participant input, (b) clinical specialist feedback, and (c) test–retest instrument reliability. Phase 1 participant responses were utilized to construct a draft version of the SAPOI. Next, clinical specialists examined the instrument for content validity and utility and instrument reliability was examined through a test–retest process with parents of children with SMD. Results: The draft SAPOI was constructed based on Phase 1 participant input. Clinical specialists supported content validity and utility of the instrument and the inclusion of 19 additional items across four categories, namely Child Affect, Child Interaction, Parent Well-being, and Child's Device Use. The SAPOI was completed twice at one-month intervals by parents of children with SMD to examine instrument reliability across the four categories (Child Affect, Child Interaction, Parent Well-being, and Child's Device Use). Instrument reliability was strong-to-excellent across all four sections. Discussion: The SAPOI shows promise as a much-needed addition to the assessment battery currently used for children with SMD who use cochlear implants and hearing aids. It provides valuable information regarding outcomes resulting from access to sound in this population that currently used assessments do not identify.
Residency redesign to accommodate trends in geriatrics: an RC-FM variance to establish a patient-centered medical home in an assisted living facility.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Family physicians are poised to provide medical care to older adults residing in the broad range of facilities now currently available to this population. To date, geriatric training has focused on skilled nursing facilities, particularly for the required Review Committee for Family Medicine (RC-FM) longitudinal experience. This article describes the development and evaluation of an RC-FM approved assisted living curricular variance to the current nursing home longitudinal experience with emphasis on the principles of the Patient-centered Medical Home (PCMH) model and an interprofessional team concept. METHODS Second- and third-year family medicine residents were assigned as the primary care providers for two continuity patients in an assisted living facility. Patients were seen bimonthly within the construct of an interprofessional geriatric team. During the 2-year curricular variance, assessment of residents' skills, knowledge, and attitudes of the residents was conducted before and after the experience through direct skills observations, written testing, and focus groups. RESULTS Of 18 geriatric competencies evaluated by direct observation, there was statistically significant improvement in seven areas. The composite score for these competencies was statistically significant. The attitudinal scores were initially high and remained high throughout the 2-year period. Knowledge testing was not significantly different before or after the experience. CONCLUSIONS The assisted living facility is a viable clinical educational setting to develop geriatric competencies within a PCMH model. Providing geriatric clinical opportunities across the continuum of care can better prepare family medicine residents for future practice.
Time to Task Failure of Trunk Extensor Muscles Differs With Load Type

ABSTRACT Time to task failure of trunk extensor muscles during seated submaximal isometric exertions was assessed in 18 healthy participants using 2 different load types. One required supporting an inertial load (position-matching task) whereas the 2nd required maintaining an equivalent torque against a rigid restraint (force-matching task). Time to task failure was significantly longer for position-matching tasks compared to the force-matching tasks. This finding is opposite to that reported for the appendicular muscles. A subset of 4 individuals completed a 2nd experiment to test the time to task failure of the elbow flexors in the position- and force-matching tasks. Time to task failure of the elbow flexors was significantly longer for the force-matching tasks compared to position matching. Thus, the same population shows that the effects of load type on time to task failure are opposite for the appendicular and axial muscles. This could be an important issue in understanding the mechanisms of task failure, and the endurance capacity of the trunk extensor muscles.
Melatonin in the treatment of cancer: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials and meta‐analysis

Abstract: Most observational studies show an association between melatonin and cancer in humans. We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of melatonin in solid tumor cancer patients and its effect on survival at 1 yr. With the aid of an information specialist, we searched 10 electronic databases from inception to October 2004. We included trials using melatonin as either sole treatment or as adjunct treatment. Prespecified criteria guided our assessment of trial quality. We conducted a meta‐analysis using a random effects model. We included 10 RCTs published between 1992 and 2003 and included 643 patients. All trials included solid tumor cancers. All trials were conducted at the same hospital network, and were unblinded. Melatonin reduced the risk of death at 1 yr (relative risk: 0.66, 95% confidence interval: 0.59–0.73, I2 = 0%, heterogeneity P ≤ 0.56). Effects were consistent across melatonin dose, and type of cancer. No severe adverse events were reported. The substantial reduction in risk of death, low adverse events reported and low costs related to this intervention suggest great potential for melatonin in treating cancer. Confirming the efficacy and safety of melatonin in cancer treatment will require completion of blinded, independently conducted RCTs.
Approaches to Evidence-Based Management and Decision-Making in Healthcare Organizations: Lessons for Developing Nations

Decision-making is an essential process that everyone takes upon at all times. Healthcare managers make decisions to ensure serving high quality of patient care, reduce costs and allocate resources. Evidence based decision making in healthcare has recently received a lot of attention by all health care stakeholders including clinicians, researchers, managers and policy makers. However, it is more adapted by clinicians and researchers than managers and policy makers. Evidence-Based science began to develop in the early 90s and was later named “Evidence Based Medicine” after its methods have been applied in health-related fields. Yet, Evidence Based Management still showing a slow progress in terms of its application in decision-making in practice worldwide. This chapter seeks to examine the key aspects of decision-making in the health care settings. It further seeks to provide key examples of decision-making and ways to seek evidence, types of evidence, and approaches to making evidence-based decisions.