Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“We can’t, sorry, but we can’t do it’: how wrongful convictions impact employment and education throughout the life-course”

Abstract Attention given to wrongful convictions typically focuses on those experiences leading up to release and less on community reentry post-release. The current study contributes to existing conversations regarding community reintegration of wrongfully convicted individuals by focusing on employment. Using qualitative interviews with 19 individuals who were wrongfully convicted, I examine how wrongful convictions impact employment and education throughout one’s life-course. Findings reveal that wrongful convictions cause disruption to educational and career trajectories. While wrongfully incarcerated, programs are not provided to successfully reenter the community upon release. Finally, participants experience a multitude of barriers when trying to gain employment post-release. Policy implications, limitations, and directions for future research are also discussed.
Constraints on the IBEX Ribbon’s Origin from Its Evolution over a Solar Cycle

In 2009, the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) discovered a narrow “ribbon” of energetic neutral atom emissions across the sky with properties correlated with the solar wind latitudinal structure and the interstellar magnetic field draped around the heliosphere. It is widely believed that the ribbon is formed from the escape of heliospheric ENAs into the local interstellar medium and their eventual return as secondary ENAs. However, there is no consensus on the rate of pitch angle scattering of these PUIs before they become secondary ENAs. We test two opposing limits of scattering rates (“weak” versus “strong”) by solving a time-dependent model of the ribbon that evolves with the solar cycle, and we compare them to IBEX observations over 2009–2019. First, we find that both models qualitatively reproduce the evolution of IBEX fluxes for most of the data set, with a few exceptions, although the strong (or “spatial retention”) scattering model greatly underestimates the observed fluxes. Regardless, time dependence of fluxes cannot distinguish these models. Second, the ribbon’s geometric properties, i.e., its center and radius, are significantly different between the models. The spatial retention model reproduces the observed ribbon centers as a function of energy and time slightly better than the weak scattering model, and the spatial retention model reproduces the observed ribbon radius over energy and time almost perfectly, whereas the weak scattering model compares poorly. Our analysis favors the spatial retention mechanism as the source of the IBEX ribbon, but it requires modification to increase the flux of ENAs observed at 1 au.
Income differences and feasibility of maize farming with different harvest times on dry land in Bali

Maize is one of staple food sources. The low productivity of maize at farm level tends to change the maize harvest time from old harvest time for food need into the young one for commercial need and feed purposes which is considered more profitable by farmers. This study aimed to determine the income and feasibility of maize farming by applying different harvest times. The study was conducted in 2020 in the dry land of Musi Village, Buleleng Regency, Bali with participatory rural appraisal (PRA) approach involving 30 farmers. Data collected included input and output of maize farming. Data analysis used partial budget analysis to determine income and feasibility of maize farming. The results showed that maize farming at early harvested has 2.1 times higher income than that at optimal maturity harvested. With R/C ratio of 1.74, maize farming at early harvested was more profitable and feasible. If the farming pattern is applied continuously, it will reduce the supply of maize as staple food reserve. Therefore, policies from local government and arrangement from farmers in maize farming are needed so that the interests of fulfilling the needs of staple food as well as increasing farmers’ income can still be achieved.
Field-aligned and Magnetic Reconnection Flows in a Magnetohydrodynamic Simulation of Prominence-cavity System

Nested ring-shaped line-of-sight (LOS) oriented flows in coronal cavities have been observed in recent years but rarely explained. Using a magnetohydrodynamic simulation of a prominence-cavity system, we investigate the relationship between the simulated field-aligned flows, magnetic reconnection flows, and the LOS-oriented flows observed by the Coronal Multi-Channel Polarimeter. The field-aligned flows are along magnetic field lines toward the dips and driven by the hydrodynamic forces exerted by the prominence condensation. The reconnection flows are driven by the overlying reconnection and tether-cutting reconnection. The velocity of the reconnection flows increases from the quasi-static phase to the fast-rise phase, reaching several kilometers per second, which is similar to the speed of the field-aligned flows. We calculate the synthetic Doppler images by forward modeling and compare them with the observed LOS-oriented flows. The synthetic images show that the LOS-oriented flows of one ring with opposite internal flow driven by the field-aligned flows are identified in the simulation. And the synthetic images integrated along three different LOSs can resemble the observed direction reversal of the LOS-oriented flow in about 20 hr, when the included angle of two adjacent LOSs is about 10°. These results suggest that the observed LOS-oriented flows of one ring with an opposite internal flow may be explained by the LOS integration effect of field-aligned flows along different loops.
Robust estimation of dynamic cerebrovascular reactivity using breath-holding fMRI: application in diabetes and hypertension

Breath-holding (BH) tasks during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) acquisitions are gaining popularity for non-invasive mapping of carbon-dioxide (CO2) driven cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR), which is a valuable clinical marker of vascular function. However, compliance to BH tasks is often unclear, and the ability to record end-tidal CO2 often limited, rendering the optimal analysis of BH fMRI data a challenge. In this work, we demonstrate an adaptive data-driven approach for estimating CVR from BH fMRI data that minimizes errors due to subject non-compliance and regional CVR time delay variability. Building on previous work, we propose a frequency-domain-based approach for CVR estimation without the need for end-tidal CO2 (PETCO2) recordings. CVR amplitude is estimated in units of %{Delta}BOLD directly from the data-driven BH frequency. Serious deviations from the designed task paradigm were suppressed and thus did not bias the estimated CVR values. We demonstrate our method in detecting regional CVR amplitude and time-lag differences in a group of 56 individuals, consisting of healthy (CTL), hypertensive (HT) and diabetic-hypertensive (DM+HT) groups of similar ages and sex ratios. The CVR amplitude was lowest in HT+DM, and HT had a lower CVR amplitude than CTL regionally but the voxelwise comparison did not yield statistical significance. Notably, we demonstrate that the voxelwise CVR time delay estimated in Fourier domain is a more sensitive marker of vascular dysfunction than CVR amplitude. While HT+DM seems to confer longer CVR delays, HT seems to confer shorter delays than CTL. These are the first MRI-based observations of CVR time delay differences between diabetic-hypertensive patients and healthy controls. These results demonstrate the feasibility of extracting CVR amplitude and CVR time delay using BH challenges without PETCO2 recordings, and the unique clinical value of CVR time-delay information.
Discovery and Detection of Dry Eye Disease Protein Biomarkers Using Soft Contact Lens Tear Sampling

Dry eye disease (DED) affects up to half of the world's population and causes blur, eye pain, decreased quality of life. Unfortunately, many people do not receive proper treatment due to current challenges associated with DED diagnoses. To address this issue, point-of-care (PoC) clinical tear film diagnostics are beginning to be used for rapid in-office testing. However, these diagnostics also have significant obstacles, including challenges associated with tear sampling. We previously demonstrated how soft contact lenses (SCLs) can be used to capture and concentrate tear proteins on the eye. Given the low tear volume associated with DED subjects, SCL sampling holds great potential to improve DED PoC diagnostics and facilitate prompt treatment for patients. Here we show the detection of new and established DED protein biomarkers using our SCL sampling method. Our analysis revealed associations between DED tear proteins and the immune system, ferroptosis, salivary secretion, and calcium binding proteins. We also identified correlations between clinical DED testing and proteomics, emphasizing the power and importance of translational medicine research. These experiments lay the foundation for both SCL sampled tear protein biomarker discovery as well as improved diagnostic testing to improve DED patient care.
Evolutionary rescue effect disappears under more realistic assumptions

In a recent paper Zhang et al. elegantly incorporate the evolution of inter-host virus fitness into an epidemiological model. They show that this leads to substantial changes in the system dynamics and in particular that evolution can ``rescue" the pathogen population if the mutation rate is high enough. However, their model rests on the assumption that mutations that affect inter-host fitness are neutral on average. Here we show that under more realistic assumptions concerning the fitness distribution of mutations, the effect can easily disappear and higher mutation rates in fact reduce the likelihood of a pandemic.
Interpretation of continuously measured vital signs data of COVID-19 patients by nurses and physicians at the general ward: A mixed methods study

Background Continuous monitoring of vital signs is introduced at general hospital wards to detect patient deterioration. Interpretation and response currently rely on experience and expert opinion. This study aims to determine whether consensus exist among hospital professionals regarding the interpretation of vital signs of COVID-19 patients. In addition, we assessed the ability to recognise respiratory insufficiency and evaluated the interpretation process. Methods We performed a mixed methods study including 24 hospital professionals (6 nurses, 6 junior physicians, 6 internal medicine specialists, 6 ICU nurses). Each participant was presented with 20 cases of COVID-19 patients, including 4 or 8 hours of continuously measured vital signs data. Participants estimated the patient’s situation (‘improving’, ‘stable’, or ‘deteriorating’) and the possibility of developing respiratory insufficiency. Subsequently, a semi-structured interview was held focussing on the interpretation process. Consensus was assessed using Krippendorff’s alpha. For the estimation of respiratory insufficiency, we calculated the mean positive/negative predictive value. Interviews were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results We found no consensus regarding the patient’s situation (α 0.41, 95%CI 0.29–0.52). The mean positive predictive value for respiratory insufficiency was high (0.91, 95%CI 0.86–0.97), but the negative predictive value was 0.66 (95%CI 0.44–0.88). In the interviews, two themes regarding the interpretation process emerged. “Interpretation of deviations” included the strategies participants use to determine stability, focused on finding deviations in data. “Inability to see the patient” entailed the need of hospital professionals to perform a patient evaluation when estimating a patient’s situation. Conclusion The interpretation of continuously measured vital signs by hospital professionals, and recognition of respiratory insufficiency using these data, is variable, which might be the result of different interpretation strategies, uncertainty regarding deviations, and not being able to see the patient. Protocols and training could help to uniform interpretation, but decision support systems might be necessary to find signs of deterioration that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Predictors of discharge to home/community following inpatient-rehabilitation in a US national sample of Guillain-Barre-Syndrome patients

Background Guillain-Barre-Syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune polyneuropathy causing acute flaccid paralysis, is a rare condition with1-2 cases per 100,000 annually (approximately 5000 cases/year) in the United States (US). There is a paucity of published data regarding patient outcomes in association with discharge destinations following inpatient-rehabilitation (IR) in this patient population, thus this study. Objectives To analyze IR efficacy, and possible predictors of discharge to home/community in a US-national-sample of GBS patients. Methods Retrospective-observational-cohort study of 1304 GBS patients admitted to IR comparing discharge disposition destinations (community/home, skilled-nursing-facility [SNF], or return to acute-care) by demographic (age, gender) and clinical variables (length-of-stay [LOS], case-mix-index [CMI], and Functional-Independence-Measure [FIM] score changes). Multinomial-logistic-regression and discriminant-function-analysis were performed to determine model fit in predicting discharge destination. Results 81.8% were discharged to home/community- average LOS 19-days, total-FIM-gain 43.2; 9.8% discharged to SNFs- average LOS 27.5-days, total-FIM-gain 27.2; and 8.4% discharged to acute-care- average LOS 15.4-days and total-FIM-gain 16.5, (F = 176, p < .001). Stepwise-linear-regression for prediction of community discharge showed change in FIM-Bed/chair/wheelchair-Transfers was the most significant predictor (Wald = 42.2; p < .001), followed by CMI (Wald = 26.9; p < .001), change in FIM-walking/wheelchair (Wald = 14.9; p < .001), and age (Wald = 9.5; p < .002). Using discriminant-function-analysis to test model validity for predicting discharge disposition, FIM-change for Bed/chair/wheelchair Transfers, Walking, and Self-Care as predictors resulted in a classification rate of 78.1%, 92% of variance explained, and Eigenvalue of . 53 (p < .001). Conclusions Total-FIM scores improved in all groups, and most patients were discharged to home/community suggesting IR efficacy. The ability to transfer bed/chair/wheelchair was the most important predictive factor associated with discharge destination.
Expression of Concern: MiRNAs Predict the Prognosis of Patients with Triple Negative Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

After this article was published, similarities were noted between this article [1] and submissions by other research groups which call into question the validity and provenance of the reported results. In response to queries about these concerns, the authors provided S1 File. The PLOS ONE Editors issue this Expression of Concern to notify readers of the unresolved concerns discussed above, and to provide the file received from the authors.
Characteristics and predictors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in young adults hospitalized with acute coronary syndrome: A retrospective cohort study of 30,000 patients in the Gulf region

Introduction The characteristics of young adults with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) due to acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has not been well described. The mean age of gulf citizens in ACS registries is 10–15 years younger than their western counterparts, which provided us with a unique opportunity to investigate the characteristics and predictors of OHCA in young adults presenting with ACS. Methodology This was a retrospective cohort study using data from 7 prospective ACS registries in the Gulf region. In brief, all registries included consecutive adults who were admitted with ACS. OHCA was defined as cardiac arrest upon presentation (i.e., before admission to the hospital). We described the characteristics of young adults (< 50 years) who had OHCA and performed multivariate logistic regression analysis to assess independent predictors of OHCA. Results A total of 31,620 ACS patients were included in the study. There were 611 (1.93%) OHCA cases in the whole cohort [188/10,848 (1.73%) in young adults vs 423/20,772 (2.04%) in older adults, p = 0.06]. Young adults were predominantly males presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) [182/188 (96.8%) and 172/188 (91.49%), respectively]. OHCA was the sentinel event of coronary artery disease (CAD) in 70% of young adults. STEMI, male sex, and non-smoking status were found to be independent predictors of OHCA [OR = 5.862 (95% CI 2.623–13.096), OR: 4.515 (95% CI 1.085–18.786), and OR = 2.27 (95% CI 1.335–3.86), respectively]. Conclusion We observed a lower prevalence of OHCA in ACS patients in our region as compared to previous literature from other regions. Moreover, OHCA was the sentinel event of CAD in the majority of young adults, who were predominantly males with STEMIs. These findings should help risk-stratify patients with ACS and inform further research into the characteristics of OHCA in young adults.
Assessment of severity scoring systems for predicting mortality in critically ill patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy

The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) is increasing every year and many patients with AKI admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) require continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). This study compared and analyzed severity scoring systems to assess their suitability in predicting mortality in critically ill patients receiving CRRT. Data from 612 patients receiving CRRT in four ICUs of the Korea University Medical Center between January 2016 and November 2018 were retrospectively collected. The mean age of all patients was 67.6 ± 14.8 years, and the proportion of males was 59.6%. The endpoints were in-hospital mortality and 7-day mortality from the day of CRRT initiation to the date of death. The Program to Improve Care in Acute Renal Disease (PICARD), Demirjian’s, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II, Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) 3, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), Multiple Organ Dysfunction Score (MODS), and Liano’s scores were used to predict mortality. The in-hospital and 7-day mortality rates in the study population were 72.7% and 45.1%, respectively. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) revealed the highest discrimination ability for Demirjian’s score (0.770), followed by Liano’s score (0.728) and APACHE II (0.710). The AUROC curves for the SAPS 3, MODS, and PICARD were 0.671, 0.665, and 0.658, respectively. The AUROC of Demirjian’s score was significantly higher than that of the other scores, except for Liano’s score. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test on Demirjian’s score showed a poor fit in our analysis; however, it was more acceptable than general severity scores. Kidney-specific severity scoring systems showed better performance in predicting mortality in critically ill patients receiving CRRT than general severity scoring systems.
Inter and transgenerational impact of H3K4 methylation in neuronal homeostasis

The study highlights the importance of maintaining appropriate H3K4me3 levels to prevent negative impacts on nerve system homeostasis across generations. Epigenetic marks and associated traits can be transmitted for one or more generations, phenomena known respectively as inter- or transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. It remains unknown if genetically and conditionally induced aberrant epigenetic states can influence the development of the nervous system across generations. Here, we show, using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system, that alteration of H3K4me3 levels in the parental generation, caused by genetic manipulation or changes in parental conditions, has, respectively, trans- and intergenerational effects on H3K4 methylome, transcriptome, and nervous system development. Thus, our study reveals the relevance of H3K4me3 transmission and maintenance in preventing long-lasting deleterious effects in nervous system homeostasis.
Trends and correlates of low HIV knowledge among ever-married women of reproductive age: Evidence from cross-sectional Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 1996–2014

Background The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) burden has frequently been changing over time due to epidemiological and demographic transitions. To safeguard people, particularly women of reproductive age, who can be exposed to transmitting this burden to the next generation, knowledge regarding this life-threatening virus needs to be increased. This research intends to identify the trends and associated correlates of “low” HIV knowledge among ever-married women of reproductive age in Bangladesh from 1996 to 2014. Methods We analyzed data derived from six surveys of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 1996, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2011, and 2014. Analyses were primarily restricted to ever-married women aged 15–49 years who had ever heard of HIV. The correlates of “low” HIV knowledge were investigated using multiple binary logistic regression models. Results The study found that the proportion of women with “low” HIV knowledge decreased from 72% in 1996 to 58% in 2014. In adjusted models, age at first marriage, level of education, wealth quintile, and place of residence (except in the survey year 2011) were found to be potential correlates of “low” HIV knowledge in all survey years. In the pooled analysis, we found lower odds of “low” HIV knowledge in the survey years 1999 (Adjusted Odds Ratio: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.57, 0.78), 2004 (AOR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.70), 2007 (AOR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.60), 2011 (AOR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.42) and 2014 (AOR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.54) compared to the survey year 1996. Conclusion The proportion of “low” HIV knowledge has declined over time, although the proportion of women with “low” HIV knowledge still remains high. The prevention of early marriage, the inclusion of HIV-related topics in the curricula, reduction of disparities between urban-rural and the poorest-richest groups may help to improve the level of HIV knowledge among ever-married Bangladeshi women.
Design and synthesis of multi-functional small-molecule based inhibitors of amyloid-β aggregation: Molecular modeling and in vitro evaluation

Amyloid-β1–42 (Aβ42) peptide aggregate formation in the brain plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. According to published research, the Aβ monomer’s amino acid residues KLVFF (16–20) self-associate to create antiparallel β-sheet fibrils. Small compounds can prevent self-assembly and destroy Aβ fibrils by attaching to the Aβ16–20 regions of Aβ42. To enhance biological characteristics and binding affinity to the amyloid beta peptide, β-sheet breaker small molecules can be developed and modified with various scaffolds. In the current study, a novel series of 2,3-disubstitutedbenzofuran derivatives was designed and created by fusing the benzofuran core of a known iron chelator, neuroprotective, and neurorestorative agent, like VK-28, with a motif found in the structure of a known muscarinic inhibitor and amyloid binding agent, like SKF-64346. Measurements of the binding affinity and in vitro aggregation inhibition of the Aβ42 peptide were made using the thioflavin T (ThT) test. Using AutoDock 4.2 software, molecular docking studies of the synthesized compounds were performed on the monomer and fibril structures of amyloid beta peptide. The compounds 8a–8g exhibited strong binding energy and affinity to Aβ fibrils as well as a 50%–67% reduction of the growth of Aβ aggregation. Finally, the positive traits of our recently synthesized compounds make them excellent candidates for additional in vivo testing as a "β-sheet breaking agent. "