YOUTH NAVIGATING PRECARITY THROUGH CLIMATE ACTION: CASE OF MATHARE

This study explores the environmental organizing of the youth in Mathare and its potential to transcend hustle into climate activism. It examines how the intervention of global climate actors and their agendas influence the youth's work. By building an empirical case through the stories and evolution of the youth, using observer participation and participant observation, the research analyzes potential pathways and possibilities for Mathare’s youth groups. Embedded in the discourse of hustle and climate adaptation in informal settlements, this paper argues that the youth's work is transitioning from opportunism to visionary practice. As the youth navigate their precarious employment situations and struggle to find identity and community through hustling, the paper explores their potential to expand their vision and scope, and to collectivize towards climate adaptation, is enabled by opportunities presented by global climate efforts. Finally, the paper invites further research on the potential of youth activism to contribute to effective climate adaptation

Data from: Rates of female mouse ultrasonic vocalizations are low and are not modulated by estrous state during interactions with muted males

Please cite as: Cassidy A. Malone, Patryk Ziobro, Julia Khinno, and Katherine A. Tschida. (2025) Data from: Rates of female mouse ultrasonic vocalizations are low and are not modulated by estrous state during interactions with muted males. [dataset] Cornell University eCommons Repository. https://doi.org/10.7298/XJWN-1A66These files contain data supporting all results in Malone et al., Rates of female mouse ultrasonic vocalizations are low and are not modulated by estrous state during interactions with muted males. In Malone et al., we tested the idea that courtship vocalizations produced by female mice are regulated by estrous state. Adult male mice produce high rates of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) during courtship interactions with females. It was long thought that only males produced courtship USVs, but recent studies using microphone arrays to assign USVs to individual signalers report that females produce a portion (5-18%) of total courtship USVs. The factors that regulate female courtship USV production are poorly understood. Here, we tested the idea that female courtship USV production is regulated by estrous state. To facilitate the detection of female USVs, we paired females with males that were muted for USV production via caspase-mediated ablation of midbrain neurons that are required for USV production. We report that total USVs recorded during interactions between group-housed B6 females and muted males are low and are not modulated by female estrous state. Similar results were obtained for single-housed B6 females and for single-housed outbred wild-derived female mice paired with muted males. These findings suggest either that female mice produce substantial rates of courtship USVs only when interacting with vocal male partners or that prior studies have overestimated female courtship USV production. Studies employing methods that can unambiguously assign USVs to individual signalers, regardless of inter-mouse distances, are needed to distinguish between these possibilities

Reducing Maple Sap Spoilage

Maple sap is a perishable product that will spoil when stored improperly or for extended periods of time. As it exits the tree, it is contaminated with bacteria, yeast, and molds, which can spoil the sap by consuming its resources (e.g. sugars) or by releasing byproducts (e.g. enzymes, acids, aromas) resulting in color, texture, flavor and odor changes in the sap. Flavors and textures developed in spoiled sap can persist in maple syrup and other value-added products; proper care of maple sap is essential to produce quality products.Funding for project was made possible by a grant agreement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA

Applications of Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models for Social Determinants of Health: Protocol for a Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the intersection of natural language processing (NLP) and public health has opened innovative pathways for investigating social determinants of health (SDOH) in textual datasets. Despite the promise of NLP in the SDOH domain, the literature is dispersed across various disciplines, and there is a need to consolidate existing knowledge, identify knowledge gaps in the literature, and inform future research directions in this emerging field. OBJECTIVE: This research protocol describes a systematic review to identify and highlight NLP techniques, including large language models, used for SDOH-related studies. METHODS: A search strategy will be executed across PubMed, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, PsycINFO, HealthSource: Academic Nursing, and ACL Anthology to find studies published in English between 2014 and 2024. Three reviewers (SR, ZZ, and YC) will independently screen the studies to avoid voting bias, and two (AS and YX) additional reviewers will resolve any conflicts during the screening process. We will further screen studies that cited the included studies (forward search). Following the title abstract and full-text screening, the characteristics and main findings of the included studies and resources will be tabulated, visualized, and summarized. RESULTS: The search strategy was formulated and run across the 7 databases in August 2024. We expect the results to be submitted for peer review publication in early 2025. As of December 2024, the title and abstract screening was underway. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive study of existing research on the application of NLP for various SDOH tasks across multiple textual datasets. By rigorously evaluating the methodologies, tools, and outcomes of eligible studies, the review will identify gaps in current knowledge and suggest directions for future research in the form of specific research questions. The findings will be instrumental in developing more effective NLP models for SDOH, ultimately contributing to improved health outcomes and a better understanding of social determinants in diverse populations. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/66094

Strategic Communication Introduction

N/AOverview of the Strategic Communication ToolkitN/

Psychometric Properties of the Critical Appraisal Tool for Anatomical Meta-Analysis.

The hallmark of evidence-based anatomy (EBA) is the anatomical meta-analysis (AMA). The Critical Appraisal Tool for Anatomical Meta-Analysis (CATAM) was recently published to enable users to appraise AMAs quickly and effectively. The tool is valuable for students and clinicians who need to judge the quality of AMAs, which informs clinical decision making and results in better patient care. Subjective measures of the tool's face and content validity have been established, but establishing its reliability provides a more objective measure of the instrument's dependability. This study investigated the interrater reliability (IRR) of the CATAM between novice and expert raters. Three graduate students and three professors (two anatomists and one pharmacist) read the original CATAM paper, and then had a post hoc meeting to discuss scoring with the tool. Three recent AMAs (published between 2017 and 2022) were randomly chosen from PubMed, and all six raters scored the papers blindly. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) statistic was used to calculate the interrater reliability (IRR) between all scores, and then the ICCs between novice and expert scores were compared. Cronbach's alpha (internal consistency) of the CATAM was also calculated (SPSS 25, Armonk, NY). ICC for AMA-1 was 0.999 (95% CI, 0.997-0.999), p = 0.000, and alpha was 0.999. ICC for AMA-2 was 0.994 (95% CI, 0.988-0.998), p = 0.000, and alpha was 0.994. ICC for AMA-3 was 0.998 (95% CI, 0.995-0.999), p = 0.000, and alpha was 0.998. ANOVA showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) in mean ICCs between raters. The CATAM is a robust tool with excellent IRR (ICC > 0.990) and internal consistency (alpha > 0.990). No significant difference in ICC scores between novices and experts suggests the tool does not require prior expert knowledge to be effective. Now that the reliability of the CATAM is established, it can be more widely adopted by students and physicians worldwide to evaluate the quality of AMAs. The CATAM offers widespread applicability, and can be adopted in medical education, journal clubs, and clinical seminars to critically evaluate AMAs.2026-01-2

Postal Intelligence: The Tassis Family and Communications Revolution in Early Modern Europe

Postal Intelligence connects and situates histories of the post and government intelligence alongside print technology and state power in the wider context of the early modern communications revolution. In the sixteenth century, postal services became central to domestic governance and foreign policy enterprises, extended government reach and surveillance, and offered new control over the public sphere. Rachel Midura focuses on the Tassis family, members of which served as official postmasters to the dukes of Milan, the pope, Spanish kings, and Holy Roman emperors. Using administrative records and family correspondence, she follows the Tassis family, their agents, and their rivals as their influence expanded from northern Italy across Europe. Postal Intelligence shows how postmasters and postmistresses were key players in early modern diplomacy, commerce, and journalism, whose ultimate success depended on both administrative ingenuity and strategic ambiguity

Comparison of Ultrasound Characteristics of Peripapillary Hyperreflective Ovoid Mass-Like Structures (PHOMS) and Optic Disc Drusen in Children.

BACKGROUND: In children, pseudopapilledema is frequently caused by peripapillary hyperreflective ovoid mass-like structures (PHOMS) or optic disc drusen (ODD). While enhanced depth imaging (EDI) OCT can identify both, lack of cooperation, especially from younger children due to the duration of testing, often necessitates the use of B-scan ultrasound (BSUS). This study investigated whether PHOMS are hyperreflective on BSUS and if BSUS can differentiate PHOMS from ODD. METHODS: Pediatric patients referred by a neuro-ophthalmologist to the diagnostic ultrasound clinic for optic nerve head elevation between March 2019 and May 2021 were eligible. Subjects who underwent BSUS and EDI-OCT and were diagnosed with pseudopapilledema based on examination, imaging findings, stability on follow-up, and, in some cases, normal CSF opening pressure were included. ODD were identified on EDI-OCT as structures above the lamina cribrosa with a hyporeflective core and hyperreflective margin prominent superiorly. Hyperreflective horizontal lines (HHL) above the lamina cribrosa without ODD were identified. PHOMS were defined as ovoid, hyperreflective structures above Bruch's membrane external to the optic disc, with similar reflectivity to the retinal nerve fiber layer on OCT and upward deflection of other retinal layers. The BSUSs were read by a separate, masked evaluator who graded the size and reflectivity. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-nine eyes (120 patients; 58.3% female; mean age = 11.6 years) with pseudopapilledema were included. EDI-OCT mostly demonstrated PHOMS only (58.1%), followed by PHOMS and HHL (12.6%), and then PHOMS and ODD (11.7%). A combination of PHOMS, ODD, and HHL was found in 8.8%, 1.7% had HHL only, 0.8% had ODD and HHL, and 0.4% had ODD only. 5.9% of eyes were normal on OCT. On BSUS, 78.4% of eyes with only PHOMS demonstrated low or intermediate reflectivity, while 92.9% of eyes with both PHOMS and ODD demonstrated high reflectivity. When HHL was present with or without other findings, a majority demonstrated high reflectivity. CONCLUSIONS: Though PHOMS are hyperreflective on BSUS, ODD are more highly reflective, which may allow clinicians to differentiate between the two if EDI-OCT is unavailable. Eyes with both PHOMS and HHL have similar characteristics to those with ODD, supporting current theories that these lines may be early indicators of evolving drusen

Supplemental Materials: The most effective strategy for verifying the absence of sanitizer contamination in milk depends on the sanitizer type used in fluid milk processing facilities

Data in support of: The most effective strategy for verifying the absence of sanitizer contamination in milk depends on the sanitizer type used in fluid milk processing facilitiesThis project was supported by the New York State Milk Promotion Advisory Board (Award number C013994) through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (Albany, NY)

Vector-Borne Disease Workforce Training & Development Needs Assessment

A primary goal of the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases: Teaching & Evaluation Center (NEVBD-TEC) is to offer professional development opportunities for the public health entomology workforce. In spring 2024, NEVBD-TEC conducted an online needs assessment to understand the training needs for vector-borne disease (VBD) and public health professionals working in public agencies. The assessment focused on those involved in the surveillance and control of ticks, mosquitoes, and their associated diseases in the northeastern United States. This report provides a summary of the outcomes from this training needs assessment.This work was supported through Cooperative Agreement U50CK000633 between Cornell University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention