Time Period Research Articles

Melatonin Alleviates High Glucose-induced Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Chondrocytes

Background: Hyperglycemia triggers mitochondrial dysfunction in chondrocytes, potentially contributing to cell damage and the onset of osteoarthritis. Objective: This study is undertaken with the objective of examining the protective properties of melatonin against toxicity induced by high glucose in C28I2 human chondrocytes. Methods: To determine non-cytotoxic concentrations of melatonin, various concentrations (10, 25, 50, 75, 100, 500, and 1000 μM) were assessed over different time periods (24, 48, and 72 hours) for their impact on C28I2 cell viability. Following this, cells underwent a pretreatment with melatonin (10 and 100 μM) for 6 hours. This was followed by subjecting the cells to a high concentration of glucose (75 mM) for 48 hours. Oxidative stress markers, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), alongside the enzymatic activities of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase were quantitatively assessed. To assess mitochondrial function, we evaluated the adenosine diphosphate (ADP)/adenosine triphosphate (ATP) ratio and measured the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Results: Elevated glucose levels significantly increased ROS and MDA levels, accompanied by reduced MMP, an elevated ADP/ATP ratio, and altered antioxidant enzyme activity. Pretreatment with melatonin effectively reversed the mitochondrial toxicity induced by high glucose (75 mM). Conclusion: These results indicate that melatonin exhibits a protective influence against hyperglycemia- induced toxicity in chondrocyte mitochondria.

Patterns of Care for T1 Glottic Squamous Cell Carcinomas from 2004-2020.

Describe recent national trends in overall treatment modalities for T1 glottic squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), and identify factors associated with treatment regimens. National Cancer Database from 2004-2020 was queried for all patients with glottic cT1N0M0 SCC. Treatment patterns over time were analyzed using the Cochran-Armitage test for trend. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to determine the factors associated with treatment regimens. Of the 22,414 patients identified, most patients received RT only (57%), 21% received surgery only, and 22% received dual-modality treatment ("over-treatment"). Over the time period, there was a decreasing trend in rates of over-treatment for T1 glottic SCC (p < 0.001) and an increasing trend in surgery only (p < 0.001). Treatment in 2016-2018 (OR: 1.168 [1.004 to 1.359]), 2013-2015 (OR: 1.419 [1.221 to 1.648]), 2010-2012 (OR: 1.611 [1.388 to 1.871]), 2007-2009 (OR: 1.682 [1.450 to 1.951]), or 2004-2006 (OR: 1.795 [1.548 to 2.081]) versus 2019-2020 was associated with greater likelihood of over-treatment. T1b tumors were less likely to be over-treated (OR: 0.795 [0.707 to 0.894]) versus T1a tumors, and less likely to receive surgery first (OR: 0.536 [0.485 to 0.592]) versus T1a tumors. Over-treatment for T1 glottic SCC has been declining, with increasing rates of surgery only. Year of treatment was significantly associated with the receipt of dual-modality treatment. Finally, patients with T1b disease were more likely to receive RT as the first and only treatment. 3 Laryngoscope, 134:3633-3644, 2024.

Interventionism in congenital heart disease in Chiapas. The history after thousand cases performed

Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect and the leading cause of childhood mortality in high-income countries. In these countries, the prognosis for a child born with congenital heart disease is excellent, with over 90% achieving adulthood. However, in the low and lower-middle-income countries, as ours, the outlook is starkly different. In Chiapas, because of the progress of the hemodynamics program, more and more types of congenital heart diseases are susceptible to being treated by cardiac catheterization. To show the global experience of the interventionism in congenital heart diseases in Chiapas from its inception to recent days. Through a retrospective study from April 2016 to June 2023, we reviewed the electronic files of the total of patients who underwent cardiac catheterism during the same period of time. A total of 1000 procedures were performed, 581 in female patients, with a median age of 4 years (1 day to 77 years). Of the total procedures, 115 (11.5%) were diagnostic catheterizations and 885 (88.5%) were interventional. Cardiac catheterization in pediatrics in Chiapas has displaced cardiac surgery in a large percentage, and the results that have been obtained are undoubtedly encouraging, which already represents a decentralization in the care of congenital heart diseases in our country.

Disparities in Transitions From E-cigarette Use to Other Tobacco Use Patterns Among Sexual Minority Versus Heterosexual Women and Men in the United States.

Despite elevated rates of e-cigarette use among sexual minority versus heterosexual young adults, limited research has examined sexual identity in relation to transitions from e-cigarette use to other tobacco use patterns. We analyzed data from 608 US young adults in a 2-year study (2018-2020) who reported using e-cigarettes in the past 6 months (time period between assessments) but no other tobacco product at baseline (Fall 2018). Multinomial logistic regressions among women and men, separately, examined associations between sexual identity and past 6-month tobacco use in Fall 2020 (nonuse [referent group] vs e-cigarette only, other tobacco product only, e-cigarette and other tobacco product dual use), controlling for age and race/ethnicity. Among women (n = 340; mean [M]age = 23.42; n = 147 [43.4%] sexual minority; 29.4% racial/ethnic minority), 34.4% reported nonuse at follow-up, 26.8% e-cigarette only, 10.3% other tobacco product only, and 28.5% e-cigarette and other tobacco product dual use. Sexual minority (vs heterosexual) women displayed greater odds of e-cigarette-only use, as well as dual use relative to nonuse at follow-up. Among men (n = 244; Mage = 24.30; n = 51 [20.9%] sexual minority; 36.1% racial/ethnic minority), 25.4% reported no use, 20.9% e-cigarette only, 17.2% other tobacco product only, and 36.5% dual use at follow-up. Sexual minority (vs heterosexual) men displayed lower odds of e-cigarette only, other tobacco product only, and dual use relative to nonuse at follow-up. Research is needed to assess and intervene on tobacco/nicotine product perceptions (eg, harm, social acceptability) and reasons for use (eg, mood regulation) associated with high-risk tobacco use patterns and trajectories, particularly among sexual minority young adult women who may have distinct profiles and risks associated with use.

Family resilience in a crisis: A qualitative study of family resilience in multimember infected families in the context of COVID-19.

This study aimed to understand the family experience and identify family resilience factors to help families adapt to and cope with COVID-19. A purposive sample of 21 patients (from nine families) diagnosed with COVID-19 were recruited for interviews. Participants were interviewed using a semistructured question guide to explore family experiences. Deductive content analysis was used to develop emerging themes. Deductive findings included three main themes: belief systems, family organizational patterns, and communication and problem solving. These themes can be applied to the analysis and conclusions related to family resilience during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reveals the coping process of families after multiple members were diagnosed with COVID-19, from the establishment and reinforcement of belief systems to the determination of how the family copes with risks and finally their ability to withstand risks. In addition, the study supports the concept that family resilience can be demonstrated during epidemics. Considering that the COVID pandemic might persist for a significant period of time, doctors and nurses must focus not only on individuals but also on the overall recovery of the family and develop interventions aimed at improving family resilience during these challenging times. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Формирование исследовательской базы о саратовских воеводах 1590–1700-х годов

The article deals with the question of how the accumulation of information about the leaders of Saratov, who served here since the founding of the city and up to the beginning of the XVIIIcentury. It isshown how this process isconnected with the publication of various documentary sources during the XIX – early XX centuries, with the publication of genealogical collections and biographical dictionaries, as well as with thecreation of the Saratov Academic Archival Commission. The names of the researchers who dealt with this issue are given. It is noted that quite often a long period oftime passes betweenthe publication ofsources or biographical dictionaries,whichcontain information about the voivodes of Saratov, and the use of these works by regional researchers.

Multiple methods of diet assessment reveal differences in Atlantic puffin diet between ages, breeding stages, and years

IntroductionAtlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica, hereafter “puffin”) reproductive success in the Gulf of Maine (GoM) has declined following a recent oceanographic regime shift that has led to rapid warming and increasingly frequent marine heatwaves. Concurrent changes in both the regional forage fish community and puffin chick diets and provisioning rates suggest that inadequate prey resources may be driving this decline. Traditional, noninvasive methods of diet assessment, however, are unable to determine seabird diet at many age classes and breeding stages.MethodsTo determine what prey GoM puffins were feeding on during two years of marine heatwave conditions, we assessed puffin diet using two complementary methods: traditional, observational methods that utilize bill-load photography and emerging methods employing fecal DNA metabarcoding. We then examined the effect of methodology, age, breeding stage, and year on puffin diet composition. ResultsWe identified a strong correlation between the composition of chick diet as estimated through traditional and emerging methods, supporting the interpretation of DNA relative read abundance as a quantitative metric of diet composition. Both methods identified the same dominant prey groups yet metabarcoding identified a greater number of species and offered higher taxonomic resolution. Additionally, metabarcoding revealed adult puffin diet during the incubation period for the first time. Although puffin adults and chicks fed on many of the same prey types, adults consumed a greater variety of taxa and consumed more low quality prey types than they provisioned chicks.DiscussionFor both age classes, diet varied both between and within years, likely reflecting changes in the local forage fish community in response to environmental variability. Puffins exploited unusual abundances of typically-uncommon prey during these two years of marine heatwave conditions, yet low puffin productivity suggests the observed dietary plasticity was not fully able to compensate for apparent prey shortages. Continued refinement of molecular methods and the interpretation of the data they provide will enable better assessments of how seabirds of diverse ages and breeding stages are adapting to changing prey communities.

Elements of Timed Pattern Matching

The rise of machine learning and cloud technologies has led to a remarkable influx of data within modern cyber-physical systems. However, extracting meaningful information from this data has become a significant challenge due to its volume and complexity. Timed pattern matching has emerged as a powerful specification-based runtime verification and temporal data analysis technique to address this challenge. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive tutorial on timed pattern matching that ranges from the underlying algebra and pattern specification languages to performance analyses and practical case studies. Analogous to textual pattern matching, timed pattern matching is the task of finding all time periods within temporal behaviors of cyber-physical systems that match a predefined pattern. Originally we introduced and solved several variants of the problem using the name of match sets, which has evolved into the concept of timed relations over the past decade. Here we first formalize and present the algebra of timed relations as a standalone mathematical tool to solve the pattern matching problem of timed pattern specifications. In particular, we show how to use the algebra of timed relations to solve the pattern matching problem for timed regular expressions and metric compass logic in a unified manner. We experimentally demonstrate that our timed pattern matching approach performs and scales well in practice. We further provide in-depth insights into the similarities and fundamental differences between monitoring and matching problems as well as regular expressions and temporal logic formulas. Finally, we illustrate the practical application of timed pattern matching through two case studies, which show how to extract structured information from temporal datasets obtained via simulations or real-world observations. These results and examples show that timed pattern matching is a rigorous and efficient technique in developing and analyzing cyber-physical systems.

The last deglaciation in the central Pyrenees: The 47 ka Pllan d’Están paleolake record (Ésera valley)

Last deglaciation was a complex period in southern European mountains with several glacier advances associated to rapid climate changes which differ in terms of timing and intensity. The 46.7 ka BP lacustrine sequence of Pllan d’Están paleolake (1840 m a.s.l.) located in the Central Southern Pyrenees (northern Spain) provides new information about that deglaciation period for the first time in the Ésera valley. We present a multiproxy analysis including sedimentological, geochemical and biological (pollen and diatoms) indicators that, together with a chronological frame constrained by 14C and OSL dates, enabled the longest reconstruction of the glacier evolution, climate and environmental change made in the Pyrenees to date. This lacustrine sedimentary sequence (4.9 m) is composed of banded to finely laminated silts with few intercalations of massive sections where carbonatic, siliciclastic and organic facies appear from the bottom to the top, characterizing environmental changes from a subglacial/proglacial lake to the current peatbog. A cold and glacier dominated period from 46.7 to 15.9 ka BP was interrupted by a warmer period spanning from 38.2 to 34.8 ka BP. The vegetation succession determined by the palynological analyses is similar to other Pyrenean valleys but dates the onset of mesophytes expansion at 13.8 ka BP during the Allerød, pointing to a difference with other European sequences where temperate forest development took place earlier, associated to the Bølling period. The colder conditions of the Younger Dryas (13–11.7 ka BP) have been detected from cold tolerant diatom taxa that preceded a peatbog development during the Holocene (11.7 ka BP – present-day). These results, together with previously studied Pyrenean sequences, allow characterizing past environmental changes during last deglaciation phases in southern Europe.

A Complete Sojourn of Current Trends in Gastro-retentive Drug Delivery System: Recent Advances and Patent Survey.

The current work aims to provide a complete sojourn on gastro-retentive drug delivery system (GRDDS) along with formulation methods, polymer selection, and in vitro/ in vivo challenges with finished dosage forms. Ideally, a biopharmaceutical-hindered drug has a rapid clearance and erratic bioavailability due to its low aqueous solubility and permeability. Additionally, it also suffers from high first-pass metabolism and pre-systemic gut wall clearance. Gastro-retentive drug delivery systems have become an emerging technology where newer methodologies and scientific approaches have been used to provide the controlled release of drugs and provide a protective mechanism in the stomach. By the virtue of utilizing GRDDS as a dosage form, these formulations increase Gastroretention time (GRT) which prolongs the controlled release of the drug in the dosage form. GRDDS contribute to increased drug bioavailability and targeting at a site of action, which enhances therapeutic action and offers significant patient compliance. Furthermore, the present work also highlighted the critical role of polymers in favoring drug retention across GIT with the mechanism of gastro-retention and recommended concentration ranges. The emerging technology is also highlighted by the approved drug products and patented formulations in the recent decade which is depicted in a justified manner. GRDDS formulations have demonstrated clinical efficacy, which is supported by a compilation of patents for cutting-edge innovations in dosage forms that can be held in the stomach for an extended period of time.

Assessing the Impact of the 340B Drug Pricing Program: A Scoping Review of the Empirical, Peer-Reviewed Literature.

Despite remarkable growth and relevance of the 340B Drug Pricing Program to current health care practice and policy debate, academic literature examining 340B has lagged. The objectives of this scoping review were to summarize i) common research questions published about 340B, ii) what is empirically known about 340B and its implications, and iii) remaining knowledge gaps, all organized in a way that is informative to practitioners, researchers, and decision makers. We conducted a scoping review of the peer-reviewed, empirical 340B literature (database inception to March 2023). We categorized studies by suitability of their design for internal validity, type of covered entity studied, and motivation-by-scope category. The final yield included 44 peer-reviewed, empirical studies published between 2003 and 2023. We identified 15 frequently asked research questions in the literature, across 6 categories of inquiry-motivation (margin or mission) and scope (external, covered entity, and care delivery interface). Literature with greatest internal validity leaned toward evidence of margin-motivated behavior at the external environment and covered entity levels, with inconsistent findings supporting mission-motivated behavior at these levels; this was particularly the case among participating disproportionate share hospitals (DSHs). However, included case studies were unanimous in demonstrating positive effects of the 340B program for carrying out a provider's safety net mission. In our scoping review of the 340B program, the highest-quality evidence indicates nonprofit, DSHs may be using the 340B program in margin-motivated ways, with inconsistent evidence for increased safety net engagement; however, this finding is not consistent across other hospital types and public health clinics, which face different incentive structures and reporting requirements. Future studies should examine heterogeneity by covered entity types (i.e., hospitals vs. public health clinics), characteristics, and time period of 340B enrollment. Our findings provide additional context to current health policy discussion regarding the 340B program.

Emotion regulation training for adolescents with major depression: Results from a randomized controlled trial.

Difficulties in emotion regulation (ER) are thought to contribute to the development and maintenance of major depression (MD) in adolescents. In healthy adults, a task-based training of ER has previously proven effective to reduce stress, but no such studies are available for MD. It is also unclear whether findings can be generalized onto adolescent populations. The final sample consisted of n = 70 adolescents with MD, who were randomized to a task-based ER training (n = 36) or a control training (n = 34). Across four sessions, the ER group was trained to downregulate negative affect to negative images via reappraisal, while the control group was instructed to attend the images. Rumination, stress-, and affect-related measures were assessed as primary outcomes, behavioral and neurophysiological responses (late positive potential, LPP), as secondary outcomes. The trial was preregistered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03957850). While there was no significant differential effect of the ER training on primary outcomes, we found small to moderate effects on rumination in the ER group, but not the control group. During reappraisal (compared to attend), the ER group showed an unexpected increase of the LPP during the first, but not during later training sessions. Although replication in large, multicenter trials is needed, our findings on effect sizes suggest that ER training might be promising to decrease rumination in adolescent MD. The LPP increase at the first session may represent cognitive effort, which was successfully reduced over the sessions. Future studies should research whether training effects transfer to daily life and are durable over a longer time period. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Extraction of geraniol from palmarosa oil using hydrotropic solvents

The extraction of geraniol from palmarosa oil using hydrotropic solvents was investigated. Palmarosa oil possesses an appealing rose aroma and properties like anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antioxidant due to the presence of geraniol. The extraction of geraniol from palmarosa oil by using distillation methods like steam distillation and fractional distillation was a laborious process. So hydrotropes were tried for extraction. The geraniol yield and purity depend on parameters like concentration of hydrotrope, solvent volume ratio, and time period. Using the Box Benkhem Design (BBD), the extraction process was optimized. One of the major advantages of using hydrotropic solvents is that they were classified as green solvents, and recovery of solvents is also possible. To reduce the extraction time probe sonication is carried out. Different hydrotropic solvents with probe sonication are done on palmarosa oil by altering various process parameters to study the separation, yield, and purity.

The possibilities of using injectables in the treatment of atrophic scars

Atrophic scars are a common complication that accompanies the healing of vulgar acne. The condition is quite widespread among young people, and their physical and psychological consequences with improper treatment can persist throughout life. There are many therapies for atrophic scars, but limited efficacy and high frequency of side effects limit use of these methods. For optimal treatment of a patient’s scar, it is necessary to predict which treatment will prtovide the most satisfactory result in the short period of time with the minimum number of side effects. Analysis of numerous studies shows that there is no panacea for the treatment of atrophic scars, which explains the developing trend towards the development of combined treatment methods. The purpose of our review is to analyze injectable methods of therapy for atrophic scars with an emphasis on the latest achievements of the previous decade, since in recent years these methods have shown themselves not only as one of the most successful in therapy, but also, according to most authors, there is a huge potential to increase the efficacy of treatment in severe cases. Although, it is difficult to make an unbiased comparison of each therapy method due to the different sample sizes of studies, the strength of evidence, the specifics of therapy and other factors, nevertheless, there is a possibility of reaching consensus on which treatment methods are optimally suited for certain types of scars. This should be an absolute determining factor for choosing the best therapeutic strategy, whether it is monotherapy or combination therapy, in the treatment of atrophic scars with minimum side effects.

Why utilisation of medicines is a public health interest

Utilisation of medicines exerts important effects on public health and health systems in different ways, including their pharmacological properties, their economic impact on health systems and their impact on the environment. Medicines cause intended therapeutic effects. Medicines are able to treat diseases, slow their progression or prevent their appearance as well as relieve symptoms. This is the reason why physicians prescribe, patients use and governments pay for medicines. Some therapeutic classes of drugs represent important progress in medicine and have dramatically improved the therapeutic approach to several diseases.As an example antiulcer agents have changed a severe disease (with fatal complications), requiring gastric surgical resection, into a disease requiring only the consumption of few pills each day for a short period of time, with a substantial improvement in prognosis and quality of life for patients. Avoiding the surgical intervention of gastric resection, and all of its complications, has resulted in substantial gains for individual patients and public health as well as a substantial reduction in the costs of hospitalisation. For other therapeutic classes the benefits are more limited, while the advantages of their use in everyday practice are less evident.

NATENG KEBUN KOPI DALAM HUKUM EKONOMI SYARIAH

This thesis is entitled "A Juridical Review of Nateng Coffee Plantations in Sharia Economic Law in Muara Semah Village, Muara Pinang District, Empat Lawang Regency", with the background of the problem of the customary custom of the people of Muara Semah Village is that they often pawn their gardens for urgent needs but in Most of the pawns carried out by the local community do not have a time period for repayment so that the pawn recipient can take advantage of the garden produce pawned by the community. In this study, there are two things that are the focus of the author's study. First, how is the Nateng (pawn) mechanism for coffee plantations in Muara Semah Village. Second, how about the juridical review and settlement of sharia economic law regarding the Nateng mechanism for coffee plantations in Muara Semah Village. The research method is field research and this research method uses qualitative data based on primary data and secondary data. The primary data in this study are the results of interviews, observations, and direct documentation of objects related to research. As for the secondary data used in this study in the form of primary books which are considered representative of the research results as a complement to the primary data. From the results of the research conducted, it can be concluded that the system used in Nateng coffee plantations in Muara Semah Village is a system obtained from their ancestors, where Nateng does not have a maturity date provided that every year the yield from the coffee plantation harvest is divided into two and the coffee plantation can be returned when the pawnbroker has paid off all of his debts. The implementation of Nateng in Muara Semah Village is not in accordance with Islamic religious teachings because Murtahin is exploiting it which is detrimental to Rahin because Murtahin asks for half of the harvest from the coffee plantation without financial or manpower assistance from Murtahin and the money lent is not in accordance with the size the garden. The results of this study are expected to be useful for adding insight related to the science of sharia economic law, and are also expected to be able to contribute an understanding regarding problems that often occur, especially in the people of Muara Semah Village so that they can understand scientific matters related to pawning in Islamic Economic Law. Keywords: Nateng (Pawn), Coffee Plantation, Sharia Economic Law

Changes in attitudes, beliefs, and experiences related to pregnancy during graduate medical education training from 2005 to 2021.

Today, 50% of medical students are women, and residency and fellowship training years overlap with peak times for starting families. The authors describe attitudes toward pregnancy during residency and fellowship and report pregnancy rates and complications for female residents and resident partners across several decades. A web-based survey was emailed to 1,057 residents in 2005 (period 1) and 1,860 residents in 2021 (period 2). Anonymous surveys were sent to all trainees including pregnant trainees, affected co-trainees and trainee partners. Resident attitudes and pregnancy characteristics were compared between groups using the chi-square (χ2) test for categorical variables and the Kruskal-Wallis test for ordinal variables. A total of 442 residents (41.8%) responded to the 2005 survey, and 525 (28.2%) responded to the 2021 survey. Most residents who covered for a pregnant resident had positive feelings about covering for their colleagues during both time periods, although more positive attitudes were present during the period 2. Only about 10% of residents received compensation for their coverage during both time periods. Among residents with a pregnancy during training (i.e., themselves or partners), most characterized having a baby in training as "somewhat difficult" or "very difficult" at both time periods. Pregnancy complication rates were 33% and 44% for training years 2005 and 2021. As medical education evolves, training programs should be proactive in creating structured support systems for pregnant residents and resident partners to minimize adverse maternal and fetal outcomes and to improve training programs. Future studies are needed to elucidate the causality of higher-than-expected pregnancy complication rates.

Economic Analysis of Secondary School Outreach Athletic Training Services

The health care benefit of athletic trainers in secondary schools is well established; however, the economic effects of athletic training outreach programs on the organization providing the services are not well researched. The purpose of this study was to determine the economic effects of outreach athletic training services on the organization the outreach athletic training services. The daily number of patient visits and procedure charges were compiled and compared between a time period when outreach athletic training services were provided to local secondary schools and a time period when these services were not provided. The findings of this study showed that an organization providing outreach athletic training services may experience significant increases in daily patient visits and daily procedure charges.

The economic benefit of herd genotyping and using sexed semen for pure and beef-on-dairy breeding in dairy herds.

The cost benefits of herd genotyping and the benefits of using sexed semen have been affected by recent improvements in sexing technologies, the incorporation of direct health traits in the German total merit index for Holstein cattle, the deteriorating prices for purebred heifer calves and bull calves, and the introduction of herd genotyping programs. Inseminating the genetically superior dams with female-sexed Holstein semen increases the mean breeding value of the heifer calves and can produce more Holstein heifer calves than are needed for replacement. This provides an opportunity to increase the selection response in health and production traits at the farm level. A deterministic model is introduced that predicts the increase or decrease in net profit when a farmer takes part in a herd genotyping program and follows a certain insemination strategy. The types of semen that are allocated to cows and heifers are sexed semen or unsexed semen and Holstein semen or beef breed semen. The genetically superior heifers and cows are inseminated with female-sexed Holstein semen, intermediate dams with unsexed Holstein semen, and genetically inferior dams with unsexed or male-sexed beef breed semen. In general, participating in a herd genotyping program is beneficial for German Holstein breeders. The optimum proportions of cows and heifers that should be inseminated with a certain type of semen are sensitive to farm-specific peculiarities. A small price difference between crossbred bull calves and crossbred heifer calves often makes the use of male-sexed beef breed semen uneconomic. Under the conditions considered, it was found to be advantageous to inseminate approximately 50% of the heifers and 10% of the cows with the highest genetic merit with female-sexed Holstein semen. The optimum proportion of cows that should be inseminated with unsexed beef breed semen was found to be approximately 40%. In a herd with a low replacement rate, the selected heifers can exhibit their genetic superiority over a longer period of time, and a larger proportion of cows can be inseminated with beef breed semen. Participation in a herd genotyping program is, therefore, particularly beneficial for herds with low replacement rates.

Has the Prevalence of Creaky Voice Increased Among Finnish University Students From the 1990'S to the 2010'S?

Everyday observations indicate that creaky voice has become common in Finland in recent years. Previous studies suggest that this trend is also occurring in other countries. This cross-sectional study investigates the use of creaky voice among Finnish university students from the 1990's to the 2010's. Material was obtained from a sound archive. It consisted of 200 samples from normophonic speakers (95 males, 105 females; mean age 23.7 years, SD 3.3 years, range 19-35 years). Normophonia was checked by two speech therapists in a preliminary perceptual analysis. Thereafter, two voice specialists rated the amount of creak and strain. A scale of 0-4 was used (0=none, 4=a lot). The inter- and intrarater reliability for the listening evaluations were satisfactory (for creaky phonation, rho=0.611, P < 0.001 for interrater reliability and rho=0.540, P < 0.001 for intrarater reliability; for strain, rho=0.463, P < 0.001 and rho=0.697, P < 0.001 for inter- and intrarater reliability, respectively). These results revealed a significant increase in the amount of perceived creak in females (from 1.04, SD 0.69 to 1.55, SD 1.06; P < 0.05, Mann-Whitney U test). In males, no significant change was found. However, the frequency of creaky voice use increased in both genders. No male speakers from the 1990's were rated as using "a lot" of creaky voice, but 2.3% of male speakers from the 2010's received this rating. Male speakers who were rated "quite a lot" increased from 5.9% in the 1990's to 18.1% in the 2010's. Female speakers rated "a lot" increased from 0% to 6%, and female speakers rated "quite a lot" increased from 7% to 25.8% over the studied time periods. Creaky phonation and strain correlated slightly in males (rho=0.24, P < 0.05) and moderately in females (rho=0.55, P < 0.001). Age did not correlate with the amount of creaky phonation (rho=0.005, P > 0.10 for males, rho=-0.011, P > 0.10 for females). It can be concluded that the prevalence of creaky voice has increased among young Finnish speakers, particularly females.