Critical Race Theory (CRT) has provided academia a theoretical framework to engage in a conversation and explore the lived experiences of people as they are impacted by the endemic nature of racism. ...The creation of subsets within CRT have made space for minoritized populations in ways that are specific to them. The author proposes the creation of MusCrit as a means to explore the experiences of Muslim Americans with a CRT lens by sharing six tenets that are unique to the lived reality of this demographic.
Grain quality improvement is a key target for rice breeders, along with yield. It is a multigenic trait that is simultaneously influenced by many factors. Over the past few decades, breeding for ...semi-dwarf cultivars and hybrids has significantly contributed to the attainment of high yield demands but reduced grain quality, which thus needs the attention of researchers. The availability of rice genome sequences has facilitated gene discovery, targeted mutagenesis, and revealed functional aspects of rice grain quality attributes. Some success has been achieved through the application of molecular markers to understand the genetic mechanisms for better rice grain quality; however, researchers have opted for novel strategies. Genomic alteration employing genome editing technologies (GETs) like clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) for reverse genetics has opened new avenues of research in the life sciences, including for rice grain quality improvement. Currently, CRISPR/Cas9 technology is widely used by researchers for genome editing to achieve the desired biological objectives, because of its simple targeting. Over the past few years many genes that are related to various aspects of rice grain quality have been successfully edited via CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Interestingly, studies on functional genomics at larger scales have become possible because of the availability of GETs. In this review, we discuss the progress made in rice by employing the CRISPR/Cas9 editing system and its eminent applications. We also elaborate possible future avenues of research with this system, and our understanding regarding the biological mechanism of rice grain quality improvement.
Abstract
Here we present 1701 light curves of 1550 unique, spectroscopically confirmed Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) that will be used to infer cosmological parameters as part of the Pantheon+ SN ...analysis and the Supernovae and
H
0
for the Equation of State of dark energy distance-ladder analysis. This effort is one part of a series of works that perform an extensive review of redshifts, peculiar velocities, photometric calibration, and intrinsic-scatter models of SNe Ia. The total number of light curves, which are compiled across 18 different surveys, is a significant increase from the first Pantheon analysis (1048 SNe), particularly at low redshift (
z
). Furthermore, unlike in the Pantheon analysis, we include light curves for SNe with
z
< 0.01 such that SN systematic covariance can be included in a joint measurement of the Hubble constant (
H
0
) and the dark energy equation-of-state parameter (
w
). We use the large sample to compare properties of 151 SNe Ia observed by multiple surveys and 12 pairs/triplets of “SN siblings”—SNe found in the same host galaxy. Distance measurements, application of bias corrections, and inference of cosmological parameters are discussed in the companion paper by Brout et al., and the determination of
H
0
is discussed by Riess et al. These analyses will measure
w
with ∼3% precision and
H
0
with ∼1 km s
−1
Mpc
−1
precision.
Abstract
We present a recalibration of the photometric systems in the Pantheon+ sample of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) including those in the SH0ES distance-ladder measurement of
H
0
. We utilize the ...large and uniform sky coverage of the public Pan-STARRS stellar photometry catalog to cross calibrate against tertiary standards released by individual SN Ia surveys. The most significant updates over the “SuperCal” cross calibration used for the previous Pantheon and SH0ES analyses are: (1) expansion of the number of photometric systems (now 25) and filters (now 105), (2) solving for all filter offsets in all systems simultaneously to produce a calibration uncertainty covariance matrix for cosmological-model constraints, and (3) accounting for the change in the fundamental flux calibration of the Hubble Space Telescope CALSPEC standards from previous versions on the order of 1.5% over a Δ
λ
of 4000 Å. We retrain the SALT2 model and find that our new model coupled with the new calibration of the light curves themselves causes a net distance modulus change (
d
μ
/
dz
) of 0.04 mag over the redshift range 0 <
z
< 1. We introduce a new formalism to determine the systematic impact on cosmological inference by propagating the covariance in the fitted calibration offsets through retraining simultaneously with light-curve fitting and find a total calibration uncertainty impact of
σ
w
= 0.013; roughly half the size of the sample statistical uncertainty. Similarly, we find the systematic SN calibration contribution to the SH0ES
H
0
uncertainty is less than 0.2 km s
−1
Mpc
−1
, suggesting that SN Ia calibration cannot resolve the current level of the “Hubble Tension.”
Lack of ergonomic training and poor ergonomic habits during the operation leads to musculoskeletal pain and affects the surgeon's life outside of work. The objective of the study was to evaluate the ...severity of ergonomic hazards in the surgical profession across a wide range of surgical subspecialties. We conducted intraoperative observations using Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) score system to identify ergonomic hazards. Additionally, each of the ten surgical subspecialty departments were sent an optional 14 question survey which evaluated ergonomic practice, environmental infrastructure, and prior ergonomic training or education. A total of 91 surgeons received intraoperative observation and were evaluated on the REBA scale with a minimum score of 0 (low ergonomic risk <3) and a maximum score of 10 (high ergonomic risk 8-10). And a total of 389 surgeons received the survey and 167 (43%) surgeons responded. Of the respondents, 69.7% reported suffering from musculoskeletal pain. Furthermore, 54.9% of the surgeons reported suffering from the highest level of pain when standing during surgery, while only 14.4% experienced pain when sitting. Importantly, 47.7% stated the pain impacted their work, while 59.5% reported pain affecting quality of life outside of work. Only 23.8% of surgeons had any prior ergonomic education. Both our subjective and objective data suggest that pain and disability induced by poor ergonomics are widespread among the surgical community and confirm that surgeons rarely receive ergonomic training. Intraoperative observational findings identified that the majority of observed surgeons displayed poor posture, particularly a poor cervical angle and use of ergonomic setups, both of which increase ergonomic risk hazards. This data supports the need for a comprehensive ergonomic interventional program for the surgical team and offers potential targets for future intervention.
To examine the repeatability of measurements obtained using a noncontact Scheimpflug-based tonometer (Corvis ST) and investigate potential differences in these parameters between healthy and ...keratoconic (KC) corneas.
Forty-five keratoconic eyes and 103 healthy eyes were examined using biomicroscopy, corneal tomography and the Corvis ST (CST).
Intraocular pressure and central corneal thickness (CCT) were highly repeatable (intraclass correlation ICC > 0.70, coefficient of variation CV < 0.20). Deformation amplitude (DA) and applanation-1 time (A1T) were fairly repeatable (ICC > 0.60, CV < 0.20). There was no association between DA and age, sex, or ethnicity in healthy eyes. There was a greater mean DA in the KC group compared with 46 age-matched healthy eyes (KC 1.37 ± 0.21 mm, healthy 1.05 ± 0.11 mm, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed DA in KC was predicted by IOP, CCT, and the steepest simulated keratometry value (P = 0.03, P = 0.03, P = 0.001 respectively, R(2) = 0.75). A subgroup analysis of healthy and KC eyes with comparable mean CCT and IOP highlighted a statistically significant difference in mean DA (KC 1.25 ± 0.08 mm, thin healthy 1.13 ± 0.09 mm, P = 0.006). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.77 (95% CI 0.61-0.93, P = 0.006) but no ideal cutoff value for DA.
Key parameters assessed by the CST are repeatable. Keratoconus is associated with greater DA than in healthy eyes, even when controlled for CCT and IOP. Deformation amplitude may be a useful adjunct in keratoconus assessment and monitoring, but cannot solely discriminate between healthy and keratoconic corneas.
•Optimizing the BP estimation accuracy using PPG features to balance efficiency and performance.•The two-stage classification-regression ANN model showed superior performance and robustness in ...real-time testing.•The joint classification-regression LSTM-ANN achieved the best accuracy, memory, complexity, and latency trade-off.
This paper investigates the importance of classification in optimizing the estimation accuracy of blood pressure (BP) using photoplethysmography (PPG) signal features, with the aim of balancing efficiency and performance. Accordingly, the experimental design of this study was employed by constructing various artificial neural network (ANN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) topologies such as conventional single-stage models and classification-regression schemes including two-stage models, joint learning models, and the hybrid LSTM-ANN model. All models were tested on 40 subjects from the Physionet’s MIMIC II database. With only 4 features, the proposed hybrid LSTM-ANN model achieved the best MAE ± SD of 3.39 ± 5.47 and 1.79 ± 3.72 mmHg for SBP and DBP, respectively. Furthermore, the single-stage and the two-stage ANN-based models were selected to be embedded in STM32 Microcontroller Unit (MCU) for real-time predictions of BP. The two-stage classification-regression ANN model showed superior performance and robustness in real-time testing on six subjects, achieved an MAE ± SD of 1.41 ± 1.29 mmHg, resulting in an 83.5% reduction of MAE compared with the traditional single-stage ANN model. Overall, the data presented in this work substantiate the significant role of classification in improving regression accuracy in both ANN and LSTM-based models. Compared to other state-of-the-art models, the hybrid LSTM-ANN with a joint classification-regression approach was found to be the optimal architecture to achieve the best performance and a trade-off between memory usage, complexity, and latency with acceptable BP prediction accuracy.
A content analysis of the editorial pages of the Birmingham News from 1960 to 1964 shows that, despite its staunch segregationist stance, the paper's editorial pages, nonetheless, produced strong ...integrationist narratives. This paradox was borne of discordant interpretations of 14th Amendment rights featured in the Supreme Court's Plessy (1896) and Brown (1954) decisions. Rise of staunch segregationist groups and officials after the Court's 1954 Brown decision drove News editors to embrace greater democratic pluralism. The evolution in editorial approach corresponded to the paper's gradual adoption of Brown's interpretations of 14th Amendment rights. Change in the valence of the paper's narratives supports Condit’s (1987) thesis that rhetorical “crafting” of public morality about race brought about greater tolerance and acceptance of racial equality in America.
Bovine rotavirus (BRV) is considered the leading cause of calf diarrhea worldwide, including Bangladesh. In this study we aimed to identify risk factors for BRV infection and determine the G and P ...genotypes of BRV strains in diarrheic calves. Fecal samples were collected from 200 diarrheic calves in three districts between January 2014 and October 2015. These samples were screened to detect the presence of BRV using rapid test-strips BIO K 152 (RTSBK). The RTSBK positive samples were further tested by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the silver staining technique to detect rotavirus dsRNA. Risk factors were identified by multivariable logistic regression analysis. The G and P genotypes of BRV were determined by RT-PCR and sequencing. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the neighbor-joining method using CLC sequence viewer 8.0. About 23% of the diarrheic calves were BRV positive. The odds of BRV infection were 3.8- (95% confidence interval 95% CI: 1.0-14.7) and 3.9-times (95% CI:1.1-14.2) higher in Barisal and Madaripur districts, respectively, than Sirrajganj. The risk of BRV infection was 3.1-times (95% CI: 1.5-6.5) higher in calves aged ≤ 5 weeks than those aged >5 weeks. Moreover, the risk of BRV infection was 2.6-times (95% CI:1.1-5.8) higher in crossbred (Holstein Friesian, Shahiwal) than indigenous calves. G6P11 was the predominant genotype (94.4%), followed by G10P11 (5.6%). The BRV G6 strains were found to be closest (98.9-99.9%) to Indian strains, and BRV G10 strains showed 99.9% identities with Indian strain. The VP4 gene of all P11 strains showed >90% identities to each other and also with Indian strains. The most frequently identified BRV genotype was G6P11. About 23% of calf diarrhea cases were associated with BRV. To control disease, high-risk areas and younger crossbred calves should be targeted for surveillance and management. The predominant genotype could be utilized as the future vaccine candidate or vaccines with the dominant genotype should be used to control BRV diarrhea in Bangladesh.
Asymmetric dimethyl arginine, symmetric dimethyl arginine and uromodulin used as early biomarkers of diagnosis renal diseases. The early stages side effects of inveterate kidney malady are ordinarily ...not clear. Noteworthy decrease of the kidney work is the primary self-evident sign of infection. On the off chance that analyzed early stages 1 to 3, the movement of unremitting kidney infection can be changed and complications diminished. In stages 4 and 5 broad kidney harm is watched, which as a rule comes about in end-stage renal disappointment. Keywords:Symmetric Dimethyl arginine, uromodulin and kidney Citation:Ali NM. Asymmetric dimethyl arginine and uromodulin in the chronic kidney disease. Iraqi JMS. 2019; 17(3&4): 166-167. doi: 10.22578/IJMS.17.3&4.1
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