Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Domestic Violence, Mental Health, and Resilience Among Older Adults in the U.S. During COVID-19

Objectives The current study based on the Stress Process Model investigated the impact of experiences of domestic violence on mental health as well as resilience against negative mental health outcomes among older adults in U.S. during COVID-19. Method Participants included 522 older adults (ages 51–80 and older) living in US at the time of the survey. Path analysis using Mplus was employed. Results:The experience of domestic violence among older adults during the pandemic was positively associated with loneliness and anxiety directly and indirectly. However, resilience acted as a protective factor between the experiences of domestic violence and anxiety. Conclusion: The experience of domestic violence may increase loneliness and anxiety among older adults during challenging times; however, resilience may weaken these negative psychological outcomes both directly and indirectly. Findings and implications are discussed.
Cool shade and not‐so‐cool shade: How habitat loss may accelerate thermal stress under current and future climate

Worldwide habitat loss, land‐use changes, and climate change threaten biodiversity, and we urgently need models that predict the combined impacts of these threats on organisms. Current models, however, overlook microhabitat diversity within landscapes and so do not accurately inform conservation efforts, particularly for ectotherms. Here, we built and field‐parameterized a model to examine the effects of habitat loss and climate change on activity and microhabitat selection by a diurnal desert lizard. Our model predicted that lizards in rock‐free areas would reduce summer activity levels (e.g. foraging, basking) and that future warming will gradually decrease summer activity in rocky areas, as even large rocks become thermally stressful. Warmer winters will enable more activity but will require bushes and small rocks as shade retreats. Hence, microhabitats that may seem unimportant today will become important under climate change. Modelling frameworks should consider the microhabitat requirements of organisms to improve conservation outcomes.
Emotions and Psychological Mechanisms of Listening to Music in Cochlear Implant Recipients

Objectives: Music is a multidimensional phenomenon and is classified by its arousal properties, emotional quality, and structural characteristics. Although structural features of music (i.e., pitch, timbre, and tempo) and music emotion recognition in cochlear implant (CI) recipients are popular research topics, music-evoked emotions, and related psychological mechanisms that reflect both the individual and social context of music are largely ignored. Understanding the music-evoked emotions (the “what”) and related mechanisms (the “why”) can help professionals and CI recipients better comprehend the impact of music on CI recipients’ daily lives. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate these aspects in CI recipients and compare their findings to those of normal hearing (NH) controls. Design: This study included 50 CI recipients with diverse auditory experiences who were prelingually deafened (deafened at or before 6 years of age)—early implanted (N = 21), prelingually deafened—late implanted (implanted at or after 12 years of age—N = 13), and postlingually deafened (N = 16) as well as 50 age-matched NH controls. All participants completed the same survey, which included 28 emotions and 10 mechanisms (Brainstem reflex, Rhythmic entrainment, Evaluative Conditioning, Contagion, Visual imagery, Episodic memory, Musical expectancy, Aesthetic judgment, Cognitive appraisal, and Lyrics). Data were presented in detail for CI groups and compared between CI groups and between CI and NH groups. Results: The principal component analysis showed five emotion factors that are explained by 63.4% of the total variance, including anxiety and anger, happiness and pride, sadness and pain, sympathy and tenderness, and serenity and satisfaction in the CI group. Positive emotions such as happiness, tranquility, love, joy, and trust ranked as most often experienced in all groups, whereas negative and complex emotions such as guilt, fear, anger, and anxiety ranked lowest. The CI group ranked lyrics and rhythmic entrainment highest in the emotion mechanism, and there was a statistically significant group difference in the episodic memory mechanism, in which the prelingually deafened, early implanted group scored the lowest. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that music can evoke similar emotions in CI recipients with diverse auditory experiences as it does in NH individuals. However, prelingually deafened and early implanted individuals lack autobiographical memories associated with music, which affects the feelings evoked by music. In addition, the preference for rhythmic entrainment and lyrics as mechanisms of music-elicited emotions suggests that rehabilitation programs should pay particular attention to these cues.
Post-COVID-19 depression and anxiety in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate depression and anxiety in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the post-coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) period and their potential association with the disease activity and related organ damage. Patients and Methods This is a case–control study including 120 adult Egyptian patients with SLE: sixty patients with SLE who were proven previously to be positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and recovered during the 3 months prior to the study were included in the case group and an equal number of age- and sex-matched patients with SLE and no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection were included in the control group. Patients’ clinical history was collected, and they underwent clinical evaluation, including SLE disease activity, damage assessment, and psychological assessment. Results The mean depression and anxiety scores were significantly higher in cases than in the control group. Both scores showed a significant positive correlation with age, disease duration, the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) Damage Index for SLE (SDI), and SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) and a significant negative correlation with education years. Hierarchical multivariate regression analyses revealed that COVID-19 infection was a predictor for severe depression and moderate-to-severe anxiety. Conclusions Patients with SLE, who are already vulnerable to physiological stressors, are especially predisposed to more risk of anxiety and depression when they are contracted with COVID-19 disease. Furthermore, anxiety and depression are associated with SLE activity and damage scores, and COVID-19 infection is a significant predictor for their severity. These results suggest that healthcare providers should give special attention to the mental health of SLE patients, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Efficacy and safety of pralsetinib in patients with advanced RET fusion‐positive non–small cell lung cancer

Pralsetinib is a potent, selective RET inhibitor targeting oncogenic RET alterations. As part of the global, phase 1/2 ARROW trial (NCT03037385), the efficacy and safety of pralsetinib in Chinese patients with advanced RET fusion‐positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were evaluated.
Prediction of CKD Progression and Cardiovascular Events Using Albuminuria and Pulse Wave Velocity

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death. Albuminuria is an established risk factor, but additional biomarkers predicting CKD progression or CVD are needed. Arterial stiffness is an easily measurable parameter that has been associated with CVD and mortality. We evaluated the ability of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and urine albumin-creatinine (UAC) ratio to predict CKD progression, cardiovascular events, and mortality in a cohort of CKD patients. Methods: In CKD stage 3–5 patients, PWV and UAC were measured at baseline. CKD progression was defined as 50% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), initiation of dialysis, or renal transplantation. A composite endpoint was defined as CKD progression, myocardial infarction, stroke, or death. Endpoints were analyzed using Cox regression analysis adjusted for possible confounders. Results: We included 181 patients (median age 69 [interquartile range 60–75] years, 67% males) with a mean eGFR of 37 ± 12 mL/min/1.73 m2 and UAC 52 (5–472) mg/g. Mean PWV was 10.6 m/s. Median follow-up until first event was 4 (3–6) years with 44 and 89 patients reaching a CKD progression or composite endpoint, respectively. UAC (g/g) significantly predicted both CKD progression (HR 1.5 [1.2; 1.8]) and composite endpoints (HR 1.4 [1.1; 1.7]) in adjusted Cox regression. In contrast, PWV (m/s) was not associated with neither CKD progression (HR 0.99 [0.84; 1.18]) nor the composite endpoint (HR 1.03 [0.92; 1.15]). Conclusion: In an aging CKD population, UAC predicted both CKD progression and a composite endpoint of CKD progression, cardiovascular events, or death, while PWV did not.
Naturally occurring histological findings and Alzheimer's‐like pathology in the brain of aging African green monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus)

Nonhuman primates (NHPs) are important to study the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disease and evaluate therapies targeting the central nervous system (CNS). Understanding the age‐associated incidence of natural CNS pathology in a given NHP species is critical to assess the safety of potential treatments for neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease (AD). We describe background and age‐related neuropathology in the St. Kitts African green monkey (AGM), a recognized translational model for neurodegenerative research, additionally defining the age progression of AD‐associated neuropathology in this species. Seventy‐one AGM brains were examined, representing age groups of 3–6 years (n = 20), 7–9 years (n = 20), 10–15 years (n = 20), and >15 years (n = 11). A subset of brains (n = 31) was assessed immunohistochemically for AD‐related pathology, including expressions of Aβ, tau, and GFAP. Age‐related microscopic findings included hemosiderosis, spheroid formation, neuronal lipofuscinosis and neuromelanosis, white matter and neuropil vacuolation, astrocytosis, and focal microgliosis. Non‐age‐related findings included perivascular ceroid‐laden macrophages, meningeal melanosis, and vascular mineralization. Immunohistochemistry revealed 4G8‐immunopositive Aβ plaques and vascular deposits in the prefrontal, frontal, cingulate, and temporal cortices of nine animals over 15 years of age, with associated increase in GFAP expression. In 12 animals, 11 over the age of 10 years, phosphorylated tau CP13‐immunoreactive neurons, neuropil, and oligodendrocyte‐like cells were seen in the prefrontal, frontal, cingulate, orbital, temporal, and entorhinal cortices as well as the hippocampus; no neurofibrillary tangles were observed. AD‐related pathology showed an age‐related development in cognitive‐associated areas in the AGM, highlighting the value of the AGM as a natural model for these neurodegenerative diseases.
IL-10 Modulation Increases Pyrazinamide’s Antimycobacterial Efficacy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection in Mice

Abstract Mechanisms to shorten the duration of tuberculosis (TB) treatment include new drug formulations or schedules and the development of host-directed therapies (HDTs) that better enable the host immune system to eliminate Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Previous studies have shown that pyrazinamide, a first-line antibiotic, can also modulate immune function, making it an attractive target for combinatorial HDT/antibiotic therapy, with the goal to accelerate clearance of M. tuberculosis. In this study, we assessed the value of anti–IL-10R1 as an HDT along with pyrazinamide and show that short-term anti–IL-10R1 blockade during pyrazinamide treatment enhanced the antimycobacterial efficacy of pyrazinamide, resulting in faster clearance of M. tuberculosis in mice. Furthermore, 45 d of pyrazinamide treatment in a functionally IL-10–deficient environment resulted in sterilizing clearance of M. tuberculosis. Our data suggest that short-term IL-10 blockade with standard TB drugs has the potential to improve clinical outcome by reducing the treatment duration.
Challenges and Present Fields of Action at Laser Scanner Based Deformation Analyses

Abstract Due to improved laser scanning technology, laser scanner based deformation analyses are presently widespread. These deformation analyses are no longer based on individual points representing the deformation of an object at selected positions. Instead, they are based on a large number of scan points sampling the whole object. This fact either leads to challenges regarding metrological aspects as well as regarding modeling aspects: – Estimating and quantifying spatial correlations between scan points and incorporating them into the deformation analysis – Separating the laser scanners’ internal systematic errors from areal deformations – Minimizing the bias at areal deformation analyses due to a worse network configuration and limited object knowledge – Developing freeform parameterizations to reproduce arbitrary areal deformations of an object by individual parameters – Incorporating an extended uncertainty model considering also model errors due to imperfect knowledge and simplification of the sampled object. – Only when considering all of these aspects, laser scanner based deformation analyses can benefit from the potential of the areal object sampling. This study aims at naming and reasoning these aspects. Furthermore, it introduces first methodologies and approaches for dealing with them.
Deriving Power Spectra from a Three-Component Sonic Anemometer

Abstract The paper describes the general characteristics of a non-orthogonal sonic anemometer array. The effects of line-averaging and spatial separation (between mid-points of the horizontal paths) are analyzed and spatial transfer functions are derived for power spectra of the longitudinal, lateral and vertical velocity components. While line-averaging always causes spectral attenuation at wavenumbers larger than 1/l (where l is the sonic path length), spatial separation produces cross-contamination between the horizontal velocity spectra at wavenumbers exceeding 1/d (where d is the separation distance). For an array with a 120° angle between the horizontal sonic paths the net effect of this cross-contamination is to overestimate the longitudinal velocity spectrum and underestimate the lateral velocity spectrum. The separation distance which yields maximum flatness in the transfer function for the longitudinal component is found to be 0.6 l. Also discussed are the effects of aliasing and long-term trend.
Numerical approximation of level set power mean curvature flow

In this paper we investigate the numerical approximation of a variant of the mean curvature flow. We consider the evolution of hypersurfaces with normal speed given by $H^k$, $k \ge 1$, where $H$ denotes the mean curvature. We use a level set formulation of this flow and discretize the regularized level set equation with fi nite elements. In a previous paper we proved an a priori estimate for the approximation error between the finite element solution and the solution of the original level set equation. We obtained an upper bound for this error which is polynomial in the discretization parameter and the reciprocal regularization parameter. The aim of the present paper is the numerical study of the behavior of the evolution and the numerical veri cation of certain convergence rates. We restrict the consideration to the case that the level set function depends on two variables, i.e. the moving hypersurfaces are curves. Furthermore, we con firm for specifi c initial curves and di fferent values of $k$ that the flow improves the isoperimetrical defi cit.
Optical Control of Exciton Qubits in Semiconductor Quantum Dots Using Pulse Shaping Techniques

x List of Abbreviations and Symbols Used . xi Acknowledgements . xiii Chapter
Surgeon Experience Influences Robotics Learning Curve for Minimally Invasive Lumbar Fusion

Study Design. Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. Objective. To analyze the learning curves of three spine surgeons for robotic minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF). Summary of Background Data. Although the learning curve for robotic MI-TLIF has been described, the current evidence is of low quality with most studies being single-surgeon series. Materials and Methods. Patients who underwent single-level MI-TLIF with three spine surgeons (years in practice: surgeon 1: 4, surgeon 2: 16, and surgeon 3: two) using a floor-mounted robot were included. Outcome measures were operative time, fluoroscopy time, intraoperative complications, screw revision, and patient-reported outcome measures. Each surgeon’s cases were divided into successive groups of 10 patients and compared for differences. Linear regression and cumulative sum (CuSum) analyses were performed to analyze the trend and learning curve, respectively. Results. A total of 187 patients were included (surgeon 1: 45, surgeon 2: 122, and surgeon 3: 20). For surgeon 1, CuSum analysis showed a learning curve of 21 cases with the attainment of mastery at case 31. Linear regression plots showed negative slopes for operative and fluoroscopy time. Both learning phase and postlearning phase groups showed significant improvement in patient-reported outcome measures. For surgeon 2, CuSum analysis demonstrated no discernible learning curve. There was no significant difference between successive patient groups in either operative time or fluoroscopy time. For surgeon 3, CuSum analysis demonstrated no discernible learning curve. Even though the difference between successive patient groups was not significant, cases 11 to 20 had an average operative time of 26 minutes less than cases 1–10), suggesting an ongoing learning curve. Conclusions. Surgeons who are well-experienced can be expected to have no or minimal learning curve for robotic MI-TLIF. Early attendings are likely to have a learning curve of around 21 cases with the attainment of mastery at case 31. Learning curve does not seem to impact clinical outcomes after surgery. Level of Evidence. Level 3.
Enhancement of CAR‐T cell activity against cholangiocarcinoma by simultaneous knockdown of six inhibitory membrane proteins

Existing treatments for cholangiocarcinoma have poor efficacy. However, chimeric antigen receptor‐T (CAR‐T) cells are emerging as a potential therapeutic strategy. Solid tumors possess multiple adverse factors in an immunosuppressive microenvironment that impair CAR‐T cell infiltration and function. This study aimed to improve the function of CAR‐T cells through knock down immune checkpoints and immunosuppressive molecular receptors.
Hankel Determinant for starlike and convex functions.

Denote S to be the class of functions which are analytic, normalised and univalent in the open unit disc D = {z : |z| < 1}. The important subclasses of S are the class of starlike and convex functions, which we denote by S and C. This paper focuses on attaining sharp upper bounds for the functional |a2a4−a3| for functions f(z) = z + ∑∞ n=2anz n belonging to S and C. Mathematics Subject Classification: Primary 30C45
Can first or last name uniqueness help to identify diaspora researchers from any country?

Abstract Purpose Diaspora researchers work in one country but have ancestral origins in another, either through moves during a research career (mobile diaspora researchers) or by starting research in the target country (embedded diaspora researchers). Whilst mobile researchers might be tracked through affiliation changes in bibliometric databases, embedded researchers cannot. This article reports an evidence-based discussion of which countries’ diaspora researchers can be partially tracked using first or last names, addressing this limitation. Design/methodology/approach A frequency analysis of first and last names of authors of all Scopus journal articles 2001-2021 for 200 countries or regions. Findings There are great variations in the extent to which first or last names are uniquely national, from Monserrat (no unique first names) to Thailand (81% unique last names). Nevertheless, most countries have a subset of first or last names that are relatively unique. For the 50 countries with the most researchers, authors with relatively national names are always more likely to research their name-associated country, suggesting a continued national association. Lists of researchers’ first and last name frequencies and proportions are provided for 200 countries/regions. Research limitations Only one period is tracked (2001-2021) and no attempt was made to validate the ancestral origins of any researcher. Practical implications Simple name heuristics can be used to identify the international spread of a sample of most countries’ diaspora researchers, but some manual checks of individual names are needed to weed out false matches. This can supplement mobile researcher data from bibliometric databases. Originality/value This is the first attempt to list name associations for the authors of all countries and large regions, and to identify the countries for which diaspora researchers could be tracked by name.
PKache: A Generic Framework for Data Plane Caching

In-network caching promises to improve the performance of networked and edge applications as it shortens the paths to data. This is by storing so-called hot items in the network switches on-route between clients accessing the data and the storage servers. Since the data flows through those switches in any case, it is natural to cache hot items there. Most software-managed caches treat the cache as a fully associative region. Alas, a fully associative design seems to be at odds with programmable switches' goal of handling packets in a short bounded amount of time, as well as their restricted programming model. In this work, we present PKache, a generic framework that employs limited associativity design and the domain-specific P4 language for data plane caching. We demonstrate PKache's utility by realizing multiple popular cache management schemes.