Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Abnormal vascular physiology in the lower extremities as a risk factor for ischemic stroke and mortality

Abstract Context Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is highly prevalent in the general population, affecting up to 25% of patients 55 years of age or older. There is a known association with acute ischemic stroke, but limited large cohort studies exist pertaining to the relationship between PAD severity and incident ischemic stroke. Objectives To evaluate the risk of incident ischemic stroke and mortality along the spectrum of low and elevated ankle brachial index (ABI) measurement. Methods We performed a retrospective extraction of ABI data of all adult patients who underwent lower extremity physiology study for any indication from January 1, 1996 to June 30, 2018 in the Mayo Clinic health system. PAD was categorized into severe, moderate, mild, and borderline based on ABI measurements and poorly compressible arteries (PCA). These were compared with normal ABI measurements. Associations of PAD/PCA with new ischemic stroke events and all cause mortality were analyzed. Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated using multivariable Cox proportional regression with 95% confidence intervals. Results A total of 39,834 unique patients were included with a median follow up duration of 4.59 years. All abnormal ABI groups, except borderline PAD, were associated with increased risk of incident ischemic stroke after multivariate regression compared to normal ABI. A severity-dependent association was observed between PAD and ischemic stroke with moderate (HR, 1.22 [95% CI, 1.10–1.35]) and severe (HR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.02–1.40]) categories conferring similar risk in comparison to normal ABI. Patients with PCA carried the greatest ischemic stroke risk (HR, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.15–1.46]). Similarly, abnormal ABI groups were associated with a significant risk for all cause mortality in a severity-dependent manner, with severe PAD conferring the greatest risk (HR, 3.07 [95% CI, 2.88–3.27]). Conclusions This study adds to the growing body of evidence that both PAD and PCA are independent risk factors for incident ischemic stroke and all cause mortality. The association of PAD severity and PCA with risk of ischemic stroke may help clinicians with risk stratification and determining treatment intensity.
In situ synthesis of silver nanocluster in AOT reverse micelles

Silver nanosized crystallites have been synthesized in AOT reverse micelles. By using a functionalized surfactant, silver sulfosuccinate (Ag(AOT)), a reactant, a high concentration of monodisperse and stable nanosize particles can be obtained even in the presence of air. This study focused on the various parameters controlling the nanosize of silver particles such as micellar structure and nature of the reducing agent or of the solvent. At low water content, a precursor such as Ag 4 2+ can be stabilized. The changes in the size of the crystallites with the number of initiators per micelle and with the micellar exchange processes can be explained from a kinetic model
Design, synthesis, and biological activities of novel thiophene, pyrimidine, pyrazole, pyridine, coumarin and isoxazole: Dydrogesterone derivatives as antitumor agents

Abstract On the basis of our consideration to design and to develop antitumor activities of heterocyclic compound derivatives, especially in fused ring system, we refer to the possibility of the heterocyclic extension of one of the most important steroid compounds used as a medicinal drug. The reaction of dydrogesterone with each of the malononitrile or ethylcyanoacetate containing elemental sulfur afforded thiophene derivatives 1a,b. Also, dydrogesterone was reacted with a mixture of ethylcyanoacetate–hydrazine, ethylcyanoacetae–urea, or ethylcyanoacetate–thiourea to produce pyrazole derivative 4 and pyrimidine derivatives 5a,b. Thienopyrimidine derivatives 2a–d were introduced from the reaction of thiophene derivatives 1a,b with either phenylisothiocyanate or benzoylisothioyanate. Furthermore, compounds 1a,b were directed toward the reaction with ethylcyanoacetate to produce compounds 6a,b, and the last compounds 6a,b were directed toward cyclization to obtain thienopyridine derivatives 7a,b. In addition, compounds 6a,b were subjected to react with different carbonyl compounds, such as salicylaldehyde, cyclopentanone-elemental sulfur, malonaldehyde, and acetylacetone to produce coumarin derivatives 8a,b, fused thiophene derivatives 9a,b, and pyridine derivatives 10a–d. Isooxazole derivatives 12a,b were afforded through the reaction of compounds 6a,b with hydroxylamine hydrochloride. Finally, 2-pyridone derivatives 14a,b were obtained through the reaction of compounds 6a,b with benzoylacetonitrile. Conformation structure of the synthesized compounds was established by applying IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and mass spectrometry, and their antitumor activity was examined. Some compounds showed promising growth inhibitory effects on the three different cell lines. Graphical abstract
Quantifying Vocal Activity and Detection Probability to Inform Survey Methods for Barred Owls (Strix varia)

Abstract. Owls can be difficult to detect due to their secretive behavior, typically low calling rate, and low density on the landscape. Low detection probability during surveys can result in an underestimation of the presence and abundance of a species. Thus, optimizing detection probability of surveys targeting owls is necessary to accurately address ecological questions. We used datasets collected in South Carolina, USA, and Alberta, Canada, to investigate how survey detection can be optimized for Barred Owls (Strix varia). We examined seasonal effects on the detection probability of Barred Owls as determined by playback surveys and autonomous recording unit (ARU) surveys, and whether daily patterns of Barred Owl vocal activity could be used to improve the efficiency of ARU surveys. For each survey method, we estimated the number of survey days needed to obtain a seasonal detection probability ≥ 90% of Barred Owls. We found detection probability with playbacks increased as the breeding season progressed. The effect of seasonality on detection probability with ARUs was dependent on the way encounter history was defined. Barred Owl vocal activity peaked twice per night, with one vocalization peak occurring immediately after sunset and another 7–9 hr after sunset. By targeting these vocalization peaks during surveys, we found that we could reduce ARU survey time by 50% and still retain . 82% of the original site detections, thereby reducing survey processing time. Although playback surveys were more efficient than ARU surveys at detecting Barred Owls, ARUs have numerous advantages, such as reducing survey effort and disturbance to the target animal. Ultimately, survey designs are dictated by the budget, personnel capacity, study region, and research objectives, but our findings will help researchers plan studies that optimize detection probability and minimize survey cost and effort.
Landscape Composition Encompassing Cooper's Hawk Nest Sites in Western North Dakota

Abstract. The Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) is often classified as a woodland species, but it exhibits marked plasticity by nesting successfully in what was previously thought to be atypical habitat such as urban areas and sparsely wooded grasslands, including the Little Missouri National Grassland in North Dakota. Forest expansion into North Dakota grasslands is likely due to the reduction of natural disturbances such as wildfires and grazing by bison (Bison bison). From the 1970s to 2001, forest cover increased in McKenzie County, North Dakota, by . 1000%. From 1950 to 1972 there were two recorded instances of nesting Cooper's Hawks in McKenzie County. In 2001, we recorded 18 active nests, 13 of which were successful, four that failed, and one with unknown fate. Using the 2001 National Landcover Dataset (NLCD), we calculated that the mean proportion of forest cover in circular plots (18.1 km2) surrounding nests was 0.21. We found no relationship between nest fate and proportion of forest land cover. Additionally, we found no significant difference in proportion of forest cover between nest sites and randomly selected sites centered on forest land cover, indicating that Cooper's Hawks were using forest land cover in proportion to its availability. Understanding the relationship between the shifting landscape composition of North Dakota and its avifauna is important for monitoring and managing breeding Cooper's Hawks.
FISH HABITAT USE AND FOOD WEB STRUCTURE FOLLOWING POND-AND-PLUG RESTORATION OF A MONTANE MEADOW IN THE SIERRA NEVADA, CALIFORNIA

Abstract Montane meadows are areas of high biodiversity and provide many important ecosystem services; however, degradation of 40–60% of these habitats in the Sierra Nevada region of California has left many of these areas impaired. The “pond-and-plug” meadow-restoration technique is 1 type of treatment implemented to restore montane meadows. The objectives of this technique are to re-water the meadow and promote downstream flow by increasing the water-table elevation and providing additional water storage that will promote the growth of mesic and hydric vegetation that maintains and stabilizes stream channels. However, aquatic habitat and the composition and functioning of aquatic communities in these systems post-treatment are poorly documented or understood. We evaluated: (1) fish habitat, community composition, and relative abundance among recently created ponds spanning the range of pond habitats; (2) seasonal movement and survival of fish within and among ponds; and (3) food web structure in ponds. We documented over-summer and winter survival in the fish community and short-distance movement by 1 species occupying the ponds. Mark-recapture data suggest that all fish species present are capable of surviving both summer and winter conditions when pond conditions could be most limiting. Food web structure among intensively sampled ponds was similar, with overlapping isotopic niche width for dominant taxa. However, basal resource diversity (BRD) varied among ponds, with those having higher macrophyte cover also showing greater BRD. Our findings suggest that pond-and-plug techniques can provide habitat for native fishes that are able to tolerate departures from the species thermal and dissolved oxygen optima. Future meadow treatments could benefit from short-term restoration techniques such as pond-and-plug to allow for longer-term processes to influence meadow condition over time.
‘They want to give our children to white people and Christian people’: Somali perspectives on the shortage of Somali substitute carers

Children from some black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds are routinely placed with substitute carers who do not match their cultural, linguistic, religious and ethnic backgrounds. The shortage of foster carers and adopters of specific backgrounds means that the demand in the care population often outweighs the availability of matched placement options. While the shortages of BME foster carers and adopters are widely recognised, there is virtually no research into the barriers faced by specific BME groups, so there are no informed recruitment strategies to increase the pool of potential matches. This research focuses on Somalis living in a large English city where there is a significant shortage of Somali foster carers and adopters despite people of Somali heritage comprising a sizeable proportion of the care and city population. Findings from the study suggest that there is no lack of motivation among the Somali population to foster or adopt, but participants felt that potential applicants are either rejected or deterred by institutional barriers, social exclusion and negative perceptions of social care, and that these factors are closely interlinked. The study makes practical suggestions for recruitment and assessment practice, but also stresses the importance of cultural competence and community engagement in a wider context of social care if welfare agencies wish to see more disenfranchised communities volunteering to work with them.
Community College Career and Technical Education and Labor Market Projections: A National Study of Alignment

Objective: This study sought to determine how aligned community college students’ declared majors were with long-term occupational projections. In addition, the study explored whether this link was sensitive to entry-level education. Method: The current study merged two disparate sources of national education and economic data to form a novel analytic file. The sample of students who attended public, 2-year community colleges were obtained from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:12/14), which tracked a cohort of students from 2011–2012 through 2013–2014. The second data set featured current and projected jobs numbers organized by the U.S. Department of Labor for the years 2016 and 2026. A series of logistic regression models controlling for both observed and unobserved state-level factors were employed to determine alignment. Results: There did not seem to be a clear correlation between community college students’ choice of career and technical education (CTE) major and labor market projections. Preferred model specifications indicated the decisions to major in the two most remunerative CTE cluster areas (information technology [IT] and Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math [STEM]) were negatively associated with projected market growth in a student’s home state. Contributions: Community colleges are particularly suited to provide the CTE coursework needed to respond to local labor shortages, yet it is not clear from existing research to what degree community college students choose major areas of study in CTE fields based on labor market projections in those fields. These results are of interest to researchers in light of federal policy requiring CTE programs match the current and future needs of local economies.
Turn-allocation and gaze: A multimodal revision of the “current-speaker-selects-next” rule of the turn-taking system of conversation analysis

It is argued in this paper that a multimodal analysis of turn-taking, one of the core areas of conversation analytic research, is needed and has to integrate gaze as one of the most central resources for allocating turns, and that new technologies are available that can provide a solid and reliable empirical foundation for this analysis. On the basis of eye-tracking data of spontaneous conversations, it is shown that gaze is the most ubiquitous next-speaker-selection technique. It can function alone or enhance other techniques. I also discuss the interrelationship between the strength for sequential projection and the choice of next-speaker-selection techniques by a current speaker. The appropriate consideration of gaze leads to a revision of the turn-taking model in that it reduces the domain of self-selection and expands that of the current-speaker-selects-next sub-rule. It also has consequences for the analysis of “simultaneous starts”.
Opioid-preferring participants in drug court: examining participant characteristics and during-program factors associated with program completion

ABSTRACT Drug courts are a community-based rehabilitation program for individuals with substance use and criminal justice system involvement. Building on preliminary research with this Kentucky Specialty Court sample, the study objective was to understand factors associated with drug court completion among opioid-preferring participants. Secondary data, including the participant assessment, Management Information System, and conviction information from a state database, were examined for a sample of opioid-preferring drug court participants (N = 267). Two variables were associated with increased program completion: increasing age and living with partner and children. Four variables were significantly associated with reduced odds of completion: living with partner only, increasing number of pre-drug court felony convictions, receiving a failure-to-appear warrant, and incarceration sanctions/responses. Focused attention on opioid-preferring participants is necessary in order to increase program completion rates and address individualized risks/needs as well as to provide more effective services to such individuals.
Measuring the asymmetry level around quarterly reports in the Dow Jones, Nasdaq, and Standard & Poor’s: Before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT This study tests investors’ asymmetry level around the quarterly reports of 47 shares from 2010 to the second quarter of 2020. This asymmetry level was determined by analysing three measures: the Corwin and Schultz’s (2012) spread level, residual sum of squares (RSS) with the capital asset pricing model, and the illiquidity ratio, which were lower after the event for some cases. When discerning between good and bad surprises, statistical differences emerged only with the RSS measure. During the COVID-19 period, these measures were lower after the event for more cases. Thus, information asymmetry significantly reduces in periods of uncertainty, suggesting that quarterly reports are more useful for investors during these periods.
Biomechanical differences at the hemiparetic knee in people with stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Abstract Background Understanding the effect of stroke on knee biomechanics in gait is important for clinicians and practitioners who work with people with stroke. Biomechanical differences have been established between the hemiparetic knee, and the unaffected knee and healthy controls during gait. These data have not yet been systematically summarised and analysed. This protocol describes the background and methods for a systematic review and meta-analysis of three-dimensional biomechanics of the hemiparetic knee whilst walking overground, based on data collected using optical motion capture systems. Methods/Design The review will be directed by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Two authors will independently carry out searches using Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and Scopus. The reference list of included studies will be screened for further studies by one reviewer. Observational studies and baseline data from randomised control trials will be included. Two reviewers will screen the studies, extract data and assess for bias using a modified Downs and Black quality index. Meta-analyses will be performed if sufficient data are available, and the level of evidence assessed using confidence intervals and effects sizes, and displayed in forest plots. Discussion Findings of the review will provide further insight into the biomechanical differences at the hemiparetic knee, which may assist with outcome measurements and planning of post-stroke rehabilitation. The findings may also be used to inform future research into the biomechanical assessment of gait in people with stroke. Trial registration: Prospero registration number CRD42019137058.
Men and masculinities in times of crisis: between care and protection

Associating crisis with the notion of masculinity is usually a tricky business. For many years in the discussions, not only in the media but also in scholarly debate, about the condition of masculinity and the position of men in the society, a so-called ‘crisis of masculinity’ has been evoked. Supporters of this particular approach claimed that for certain societal, cultural and political reasons, masculinity (and men) was in crisis, which carried the assumption that this was a negative phenomenon. Such discourses intensified the most when particular societal changes contravened the patriarchal order and the levels of the emancipation of women (and non-heterosexual persons) increased (Kimmel, 2005). Nowadays, in the field of critical men and masculinities studies we have reached a scholarly consensus that this particular phenomenon should not be framed as a scientific concept, and discussions about men’s practices, masculinities’ performances and negotiations should avoid the negatively charged notion of ‘crisis’. Instead, discussions and analyses should focus on the nature of changes in masculinities (and other genders), as this is a logical result of the fact that masculinities are not ahistorical and static phenomena but rather products of certain times, processes and events, which constantly influence their ‘nature’ (Connell, 1995). Having said this, the notion of crisis itself is still useful in the scientific discussions around gender, but when framed as specific historical event (Tosh, 2005) that influences changes in men’s practices, masculinities performances and (re)negotiations. And this is the case at this particular historical moment we are living in today as the whole globe is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which over the past year has had an immediate impact on all aspects of societal life, gender relations andmasculinities performances included (Mellström, 2020). Moreover, over the past several years the bleak spectre of climate change has arisen as one of the most tremendous challenges to humankind, and gendered aspects of this crisis have also been discussed (Hultman & Pule, 2018). Finally, in many countries the rise of specific political changes, with the significant rise of illiberal, populistic, right-wing mobilizations and their threat to democracy, gender equality and social justice can be observed, and the notion of a specific ‘political masculinity’ is an important factor influencing the process (Löffler, Luyt, & Starck, 2020). All of these phenomena can be framed as a critical historical moment, and thus their impact on changes in gender perceptions and performances in general, and masculinity in particular, is undeniable. However, the nature and directions of these particular changes is more complex and the crises we are facing now can be seen as both a challenge and opportunity to the creation of a more (gender) equal and just society.
A Framework for International Collaboration on ITER Using Large-Scale Data Transfer to Enable Near-Real-Time Analysis

Abstract The global nature of the ITER project along with its projected approximately petabyte-per-day data generation presents not only a unique challenge but also an opportunity for the fusion community to rethink, optimize, and enhance our scientific discovery process. Recognizing this, collaborative research with computational scientists was undertaken over the past several years to create a framework for large-scale data movement across wide-area networks to enable global near-real-time analysis of fusion data. This would broaden the available computational resources for analysis/simulation and increase the number of researchers actively participating in experiments. An official demonstration of this framework for fast, large data transfer and real-time analysis was carried out between the KSTAR tokamak in Daejeon, Korea, and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) in Princeton, New Jersey. Streaming large data transfer, with near-real-time movie creation and analysis of the KSTAR electron cyclotron emission imaging data, was performed using the Adaptable Input Output (I/O) System (ADIOS) framework, and comparisons were made at PPPL with simulation results from the XGC1 code. These demonstrations were made possible utilizing an optimized network configuration at PPPL, which achieved over 8.8 Gbps (88% utilization) in throughput tests from the National Fusion Research Institute to PPPL. This demonstration showed the feasibility for large-scale data analysis of KSTAR data and provides a nascent framework to enable use of globally distributed computational and personnel resources in pursuit of scientific knowledge from the ITER experiment.