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Clinical Targets for Continuous Glucose Monitoring Data Interpretation: Recommendations From the International Consensus on Time in Range

Tadej Battelino
Aug 1, 2019; 42:1593-1603
International Consensus Report




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Genetic Discrimination Between LADA and Childhood-Onset Type 1 Diabetes Within the MHC

OBJECTIVE

The MHC region harbors the strongest loci for latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA); however, the strength of association is likely attenuated compared with that for childhood-onset type 1 diabetes. In this study, we recapitulate independent effects in the MHC class I region in a population with type 1 diabetes and then determine whether such conditioning in LADA yields potential genetic discriminators between the two subtypes within this region.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Chromosome 6 was imputed using SNP2HLA, with conditional analysis performed in type 1 diabetes case subjects (n = 1,985) and control subjects (n = 2,219). The same approach was applied to a LADA cohort (n = 1,428) using population-based control subjects (n = 2,850) and in a separate replication cohort (656 type 1 diabetes case, 823 LADA case, and 3,218 control subjects).

RESULTS

The strongest associations in the MHC class II region (rs3957146, β [SE] = 1.44 [0.05]), as well as the independent effect of MHC class I genes, on type 1 diabetes risk, particularly HLA-B*39 (β [SE] = 1.36 [0.17]), were confirmed. The conditional analysis in LADA versus control subjects showed significant association in the MHC class II region (rs3957146, β [SE] = 1.14 [0.06]); however, we did not observe significant independent effects of MHC class I alleles in LADA.

CONCLUSIONS

In LADA, the independent effects of MHC class I observed in type 1 diabetes were not observed after conditioning on the leading MHC class II associations, suggesting that the MHC class I association may be a genetic discriminator between LADA and childhood-onset type 1 diabetes.




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A Multinational, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of Cyclical Topical Wound Oxygen (TWO2) Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Diabetic Foot Ulcers: The TWO2 Study

OBJECTIVE

Topical oxygen has been used for the treatment of chronic wounds for more than 50 years. Its effectiveness remains disputed due to the limited number of robust high-quality investigations. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of multimodality cyclical pressure Topical Wound Oxygen (TWO2) home care therapy in healing refractory diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) that had failed to heal with standard of care (SOC) alone.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Patients with diabetes and chronic DFUs were randomized (double-blind) to either active TWO2 therapy or sham control therapy—both in addition to optimal SOC. The primary outcome was the percentage of ulcers in each group achieving 100% healing at 12 weeks. A group sequential design was used for the study with three predetermined analyses and hard stopping rules once 73, 146, and ultimately 220 patients completed the 12-week treatment phase.

RESULTS

At the first analysis point, the active TWO2 arm was found to be superior to the sham arm, with a closure rate of 41.7% compared with 13.5%. This difference in outcome produced an odds ratio (OR) of 4.57 (97.8% CI 1.19, 17.57), P = 0.010. After adjustment for University of Texas Classification (UTC) ulcer grade, the OR increased to 6.00 (97.8% CI 1.44, 24.93), P = 0.004. Cox proportional hazards modeling, also after adjustment for UTC grade, demonstrated >4.5 times the likelihood to heal DFUs over 12 weeks compared with the sham arm with a hazard ratio of 4.66 (97.8% CI 1.36, 15.98), P = 0.004. At 12 months postenrollment, 56% of active arm ulcers were closed compared with 27% of the sham arm ulcers (P = 0.013).

CONCLUSIONS

This sham-controlled, double-blind randomized controlled trial demonstrates that, at both 12 weeks and 12 months, adjunctive cyclical pressurized TWO2 therapy was superior in healing chronic DFUs compared with optimal SOC alone.




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International Experience Suggests Safe Third-Country Agreement Would Not Solve the U.S.-Mexico Border Crisis

While safe third-country agreements appear to hold the potential of deterring new asylum claims, experience suggests this may be a false promise. As the Trump administration explores the possibility of such agreements with Mexico and Guatemala, this commentary examines the evidence of safe third-country arrangements in Europe, finding them difficult to enforce and playing little role in deterring new claims.




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ADA seeks nominations for representation on Dental Quality Alliance

The ADA is calling for nominations for two seats to represent the Association in the Dental Quality Alliance.




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National Children’s Dental Health Month highlights optimally fluoridated water

This year the February observance of National Children’s Dental Health Month honors the 75th anniversary of community water fluoridation with its theme, “Fluoride in water prevents cavities! Get it from the tap!”




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UCSF dental school receives $10M donation

The University of California San Francisco School of Dentistry announced Jan. 30 it received a $10 million gift — the largest contribution ever to the dental school — to establish an endowment that would fun efforts to modernize its curriculum and recruit and retain faculty members.




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Indian Health Service honoring National Children’s Dental Health Month

The Indian Health Service is presenting a four-part series of messages focused on their younger patients’ oral heath in honor of the February observance of National Children’s Dental Health Month.




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Hoosiers welcome young dental patients for Give Kids A Smile national kickoff

Indianapolis -- Seven-year-old Jordan Randle made a big promise after visiting Give Kids A Smile for the first time during the national kickoff event Feb. 7 in Indianapolis.




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FDA approves combination ibuprofen-acetaminophen drug for U.S.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first over-the-counter ibuprofen and acetaminophen combination drug for the U.S.




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American Dental Board of Anesthesiology recognized as national certifying board for dental specialty

The National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards announced March 4 it recognizes the American Dental Board of Anesthesiology as the national certifying board for dental anesthesiology.




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ADA Board authorizes two national searches for editors of JADA, JADA Open

The ADA Board of Trustees has authorized the searches for the next editor of The Journal of the American Dental Association and the founding editor of JADA Open, a new peer-reviewed, open-access journal spanning basic and clinical sciences to advance research in oral health.




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New clinical dental licensure examination to launch in June

The Dental Licensure Objective Structured Clinical Examination, or DLOSCE, is expected to launch in June, the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations announced April 2.




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Combination of HIV, hepatitis C, MS drugs might resolve COVID-19 infection

Combination therapy with interferon beta-1b plus lopinavir-ritonavir and ribavirin appears to improve symptoms and shorten hospital stays for people with mild to moderate COVID-19.




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Measles vaccinations in U.S. children fall up to 60 percent since pandemic, CDC says

Pediatric vaccination against measles has declined by as much as 60 percent nationally since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to new data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.




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A Randomized Trial Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Fast-Acting Insulin Aspart Compared With Insulin Aspart, Both in Combination With Insulin Degludec With or Without Metformin, in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes (Onset 9)

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of fast-acting insulin aspart (faster aspart) compared with insulin aspart (IAsp), both with insulin degludec with or without metformin, in adults with type 2 diabetes not optimally controlled with a basal-bolus regimen.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This multicenter, double-blind, treat-to-target trial randomized participants to faster aspart (n = 546) or IAsp (n = 545). All available information, regardless of treatment discontinuation or use of ancillary treatment, was used for evaluation of effect.

RESULTS

Noninferiority for the change from baseline in HbA1c 16 weeks after randomization (primary end point) was confirmed for faster aspart versus IAsp (estimated treatment difference [ETD] –0.04% [95% CI –0.11; 0.03]; –0.39 mmol/mol [–1.15; 0.37]; P < 0.001). Faster aspart was superior to IAsp for change from baseline in 1-h postprandial glucose (PPG) increment using a meal test (ETD –0.40 mmol/L [–0.66; –0.14]; –7.23 mg/dL [–11.92; –2.55]; P = 0.001 for superiority). Change from baseline in self-measured 1-h PPG increment for the mean over all meals favored faster aspart (ETD –0.25 mmol/L [–0.42; –0.09]); –4.58 mg/dL [–7.59; –1.57]; P = 0.003). The overall rate of treatment-emergent severe or blood glucose (BG)–confirmed hypoglycemia was statistically significantly lower for faster aspart versus IAsp (estimated treatment ratio 0.81 [95% CI 0.68; 0.97]).

CONCLUSIONS

In combination with insulin degludec, faster aspart provided effective overall glycemic control, superior PPG control, and a lower rate of severe or BG-confirmed hypoglycemia versus IAsp in adults with type 2 diabetes not optimally controlled with a basal-bolus regimen.




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Combination Therapy With Canagliflozin Plus Liraglutide Exerts Additive Effect on Weight Loss, but Not on HbA1c, in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE

To examine the effect of combination therapy with canagliflozin plus liraglutide on HbA1c, endogenous glucose production (EGP), and body weight versus each therapy alone.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Forty-five patients with poorly controlled (HbA1c 7–11%) type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on metformin with or without sulfonylurea received a 9-h measurement of EGP with [3-3H]glucose infusion, after which they were randomized to receive 1) liraglutide 1.2 mg/day (LIRA); 2) canagliflozin 100 mg/day (CANA); or 3) liraglutide 1.2 mg plus canagliflozin 100 mg (CANA/LIRA) for 16 weeks. At 16 weeks, the EGP measurement was repeated.

RESULTS

The mean decrease from baseline to 16 weeks in HbA1c was –1.67 ± 0.29% (P = 0.0001), –0.89 ± 0.24% (P = 0.002), and –1.44 ± 0.39% (P = 0.004) in patients receiving CANA/LIRA, CANA, and LIRA, respectively. The decrease in body weight was –6.0 ± 0.8 kg (P < 0.0001), –3.5 ± 0.5 kg (P < 0.0001), and –1.9 ± 0.8 kg (P = 0.03), respectively. CANA monotherapy caused a 9% increase in basal rate of EGP (P < 0.05), which was accompanied by a 50% increase (P < 0.05) in plasma glucagon-to-insulin ratio. LIRA monotherapy reduced plasma glucagon concentration and inhibited EGP. In CANA/LIRA-treated patients, EGP increased by 15% (P < 0.05), even though the plasma insulin response was maintained at baseline and the CANA-induced rise in plasma glucagon concentration was blocked.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that liraglutide failed to block the increase in EGP caused by canagliflozin despite blocking the rise in plasma glucagon and preventing the decrease in plasma insulin concentration caused by canagliflozin. The failure of liraglutide to prevent the increase in EGP caused by canagliflozin explains the lack of additive effect of these two agents on HbA1c.




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Use of Antihyperglycemic Medications in U.S. Adults: An Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

OBJECTIVE

1) To examine trends in the use of diabetes medications and 2) to determine whether physicians individualize diabetes treatment as recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of 2003–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. We included people ≥18 years who had ever been told they had diabetes, had an HbA1C >6.4%, or had a fasting plasma glucose >125 mg/dL. Pregnant women, and those aged <20 years receiving only insulin were excluded. We assessed trends in use of ADA’s seven preferred classes from 2003–2004 to 2015–2016. We also examined use by hypoglycemia risk (sulfonylureas, insulin, and meglitinides), weight effect (sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones [TZDs], insulin, and meglitinides), cardiovascular benefit (canagliflozin, empagliflozin, and liraglutide), and cost (brand-name medications and insulin analogs).

RESULTS

The final sample included 6,323 patients. The proportion taking any medication increased from 58% in 2003–2004 to 67% in 2015–2016 (P < 0.001). Use of metformin and insulin analogs increased, while use of sulfonylureas, TZDs, and human insulin decreased. Following the 2012 ADA recommendation, the choice of drug did not vary significantly by older age, weight, or presence of cardiovascular disease. Patients with low HbA1C, or HbA1C <6%, and age ≥65 years were less likely to receive hypoglycemia-inducing medications, while older patients with comorbidities were more likely. Insurance, but not income, was associated with the use of higher-cost medications.

CONCLUSIONS

Following ADA recommendations, the use of metformin increased, but physicians generally did not individualize treatment according to patients’ characteristics. Substantial opportunities exist to improve pharmacologic management of diabetes.




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Metabolic Factors, Lifestyle Habits, and Possible Polyneuropathy in Early Type 2 Diabetes: A Nationwide Study of 5,249 Patients in the Danish Centre for Strategic Research in Type 2 Diabetes (DD2) Cohort

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association of metabolic and lifestyle factors with possible diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) and neuropathic pain in patients with early type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We thoroughly characterized 6,726 patients with recently diagnosed diabetes. After a median of 2.8 years, we sent a detailed questionnaire on neuropathy, including the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument questionnaire (MNSIq), to identify possible DPN (score ≥4) and the Douleur Neuropathique en 4 Questions (DN4) questionnaire for possible associated neuropathic pain (MNSIq ≥4 + pain in both feet + DN4 score ≥3).

RESULTS

Among 5,249 patients with data on both DPN and pain, 17.9% (n = 938) had possible DPN, including 7.4% (n = 386) with possible neuropathic pain. In regression analyses, central obesity (waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio) was markedly associated with DPN. Other important metabolic factors associated with DPN included hypertriglyceridemia ≥1.7 mmol/L, adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) 1.36 (95% CI 1.17; 1.59); decreased HDL cholesterol <1.0/1.2 mmol/L (male/female), aPR 1.35 (95% CI 1.12; 1.62); hs-CRP ≥3.0 mg/L, aPR 1.66 (95% CI 1.42; 1.94); C-peptide ≥1,550 pmol/L, aPR 1.72 (95% CI 1.43; 2.07); HbA1c ≥78 mmol/mol, aPR 1.42 (95% CI 1.06; 1.88); and antihypertensive drug use, aPR 1.34 (95% CI 1.16; 1.55). Smoking, aPR 1.50 (95% CI 1.24; 1.81), and lack of physical activity (0 vs. ≥3 days/week), aPR 1.61 (95% CI 1.39; 1.85), were also associated with DPN. Smoking, high alcohol intake, and failure to increase activity after diabetes diagnosis associated with neuropathic pain.

CONCLUSIONS

Possible DPN was associated with metabolic syndrome factors, insulin resistance, inflammation, and modifiable lifestyle habits in early type 2 diabetes.




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Efficacy and Safety of 1:1 Fixed-Ratio Combination of Insulin Glargine and Lixisenatide Versus Lixisenatide in Japanese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Inadequately Controlled on Oral Antidiabetic Drugs: The LixiLan JP-O1 Randomized Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy and safety of a 1:1 fixed-ratio combination of insulin glargine and lixisenatide (iGlarLixi) versus lixisenatide (Lixi) in insulin-naive Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) inadequately controlled on oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In this phase 3, open-label, multicenter trial, 321 patients with HbA1c≥7.5 to ≤10.0% (58–86 mmol/mol) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≤13.8 mmol/L (250 mg/dL) were randomized 1:1 to iGlarLixi or Lixi for 52 weeks. The primary end point was change in HbA1c at week 26.

RESULTS

Change in HbA1c from baseline to week 26 was significantly greater with iGlarLixi (–1.58% [–17.3 mmol/mol]) than with Lixi (–0.51% [–5.6 mmol/mol]), confirming the superiority of iGlarLixi (least squares [LS] mean difference –1.07% [–11.7 mmol/mol], P < 0.0001). At week 26, significantly greater proportions of patients treated with iGlarLixi reached HbA1c <7% (53 mmol/mol) (65.2% vs. 19.4%; P < 0.0001), and FPG reductions were greater with iGlarLixi than Lixi (LS mean difference –2.29 mmol/L [–41.23 mg/dL], P < 0.0001). Incidence of documented symptomatic hypoglycemia (≤3.9 mmol/L [70 mg/dL]) was higher with iGlarLixi (13.0% vs. 2.5%) through week 26, with no severe hypoglycemic events in either group. Incidence of gastrointestinal events through week 52 was lower with iGlarLixi (36.0% vs. 50.0%), and rates of treatment-emergent adverse events were similar.

CONCLUSIONS

This phase 3 study demonstrated superior glycemic control and fewer gastrointestinal adverse events with iGlarLixi than with Lixi, which may support it as a new treatment option for Japanese patients with T2DM that is inadequately controlled with OADs.




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The Association of Energy and Macronutrient Intake at Dinner Versus Breakfast With Disease-Specific and All-Cause Mortality Among People With Diabetes: The U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003-2014

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the association of energy and macronutrient intake at dinner versus breakfast with disease-specific and all-cause mortality in people with diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 4,699 people with diabetes who enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2003 to 2014 were recruited for this study. Energy and macronutrient intake was measured by a 24-h dietary recall. The differences () in energy and macronutrient intake between dinner and breakfast ( = dinner – breakfast) were categorized into quintiles. Death information was obtained from the National Death Index until 2015. Cox proportional hazards regression models were developed to evaluate the survival relationship between and diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

Among the 4,699 participants, 913 deaths, including 269 deaths due to diabetes and 314 deaths due to CVD, were documented. After adjustment for potential confounders, compared with participants in the lowest quintile of in terms of total energy and protein, participants in the highest quintile were more likely to die due to diabetes (hazard ratio [HR]energy 1.92, 99% CI 1.08–3.42; HRprotein 1.92, 99% CI 1.06–3.49) and CVD (HRenergy 1.69, 99% CI 1.02–2.80; HRprotein 1.96, 99% CI 1.14–3.39). The highest quintile of total fat was related to CVD mortality (HR 1.67, 99% CI 1.01–2.76). Isocalorically replacing 5% of total energy at dinner with breakfast was associated with 4% and 5% lower risk of diabetes (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.98) and CVD (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.93–0.97) mortality, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher intake of energy, total fat, and protein from dinner than breakfast was associated with greater diabetes, CVD, and all-cause mortality in people with diabetes.




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International Students in the United States

The United States has long been the top choice for international students from around the world, hosting about 1.1 million foreign students in higher education institutions in 2016-17. However, U.S. enrollment has slowed in recent years due to several factors. This article offers a data snapshot of the population of international students in the United States.




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Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, forensic medicine question papers, January 2015

Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, forensic medicine question papers, January 2015




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Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, microbiology question papers, January 2015

Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, microbiology question papers, January 2015




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Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, pathology question papers, January 2015

Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, pathology question papers, January 2015




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Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, pharmacology question papers (2010-2014)

Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, pharmacology question papers (2010-2014)




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Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, pharmacology question papers, January 2015

Gujarat university, second MBBS examination, pharmacology question papers, January 2015




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MD pharmacology examination, question papers, Gujarat university, April 2012

MD pharmacology examination, question papers, Gujarat university, April 2012




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MD pharmacology examination, question papers, Gujarat university, October 2012

MD pharmacology examination, question papers, Gujarat university, October 2012




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MD pharmacology examination, question papers, Gujarat university, April 2013

MD pharmacology examination, question papers, Gujarat university, April 2013




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NASA lengthens SpaceX's first crewed mission to International Space Station

The duration of SpaceX's first mission with astronauts on board -- planned for launch at 4:32 p.m. EDT on May 27 from Florida -- has been extended from a few days to potentially weeks aboard the space station.




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Curbing the Influence of &quot;Bad Actors&quot; in International Migration (Transatlantic Council Statement)

This Transatlantic Council on Migration Statement assesses the continuum of policies needed to disrupt illegal migration-related activities and addresses the conditions that make them possible. It examines the role of migration "bad actors"—human traffickers and unscrupulous employers, among them—who operate and profit in this environment, and considers how governments can deploy resources to discourage their actions.




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Ask Ariely: On Soiled Sinks, Busy Bathrooms, and Dainty Donations

Here’s my Q&A column from the WSJ this week — and if you have any questions for me, you can tweet them to @danariely with the hashtag #askariely, post a comment on my Ask Ariely Facebook page, or email them to AskAriely@wsj.com. ___________________________________________________ Dear Dan, People in my office drink a...




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The International Migration System: Reflections on the Challenges and Opportunities Ahead

A reflection by MPI's co-founder, Demetrios Papademetriou, as he takes leave from his day-to-day role at MPI on the challenges and opportunities ahead for international migration systems over the next few decades. After opening remarks, Papademetriou engages in a conversation with incoming MPI President Andrew Selee about the trends and realities confronting policymakers and publics.




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From Emigration to Asylum Destination, Italy Navigates Shifting Migration Tides

Long a country of emigration—13 million Italians went abroad between 1880 and 1915—Italy has also experienced significant inflows of Middle Eastern and sub-Saharan African workers in recent decades. Italy has also been on the frontlines of Europe's refugee crisis. This country profile examines Italy's shifting migration patterns, policy responses over time, and debates.




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On the Brink: Prospects for UK Nationals in the EU-27 after a No-Deal Brexit

Six months on from the original March 2019 Brexit date and staring a new deadline in the face, many EU countries still had only skeletal plans for how to adjust the status of their resident UK nationals should a no-deal Brexit come to pass. This policy brief highlights critical gaps in these plans, the groups most likely to be affected by them, and strategies Member States and the United Kingdom could adopt to soften the impact.




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Immigration and U.S. National Security: The State of Play Since 9/11

The U.S. government has made important progress in shoring up weaknesses at the nexus of immigration and national security since September 11, 2001. But as new threats emerge and evolve—including public-health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic—the question is whether the post-9/11 system is up to the task of meeting these challenges, as this report explores.




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A Mirror for the Nation? The Changing Profile of Mexican Immigrants in Texas

At this event, experts from MPI and Southern Methodist University’s Texas-Mexico Center offer an overview of immigration trends and key characteristics of highly skilled Mexican immigrant adults at the national level and for Texas, and engage in a discussion on the causes behind the changing trends in immigration and implications for Texas, its economy, and more broadly for the nation.




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A Mirror for the Nation? The Changing Profile of Mexican Immigrants in Texas

At this discussion, experts from MPI and Southern Methodist University’s Texas-Mexico Center offer an overview of trends and key characteristics of highly skilled Mexican adults at the national level and for Texas, including educational levels by legal status and top industries of employment across Texas metro areas. They also discuss the policy implications of these findings.




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Expansion of legal migration opportunities for third-country nationals, particularly in middle- and low-skill sectors, holds potential but should not be oversold as migration management tool, new study cautions

BRUSSELS — While the European Union has called on Member States to expand channels for foreign workers as a way to meet labour market needs and potentially tackle spontaneous migration, they have struggled to deliver on this pledge. To date, policies have focused more on attracting high-skilled workers, but less attention has been paid to admission of low- or middle-skilled nationals. Policymakers would do well not to overestimate the potential of legal channels to reduce irregular migration.




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O'Driscoll out of Six Nations

Ireland rugby captain Brian O'Driscoll has been ruled out of action for up to six months and will miss his country's Six Nations campaign when the annual tournament kicks off in February.




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Myocardial Ischemic Burden and Differences in Prognosis Among Patients With and Without Diabetes: Results From the Multicenter International REFINE SPECT Registry

OBJECTIVE

Prevalence and prognostic impact of cardiovascular disease differ between patients with or without diabetes. We aimed to explore differences in the prevalence and prognosis of myocardial ischemia by automated quantification of total perfusion deficit (TPD) among patients with and without diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Of 20,418 individuals who underwent single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging, 2,951 patients with diabetes were matched to 2,951 patients without diabetes based on risk factors using propensity score. TPD was categorized as TPD = 0%, 0% < TPD < 1%, 1% ≤ TPD < 5%, 5% ≤ TPD ≤ 10%, and TPD >10%. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were defined as a composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or late revascularization.

RESULTS

MACE risk was increased in patients with diabetes compared with patients without diabetes at each level of TPD above 0 (P < 0.001 for interaction). In patients with TPD >10%, patients with diabetes had greater than twice the MACE risk compared with patients without diabetes (annualized MACE rate 9.4 [95% CI 6.7–11.6] and 3.9 [95% CI 2.8–5.6], respectively, P < 0.001). Patients with diabetes with even very minimal TPD (0% < TPD < 1%) experienced a higher risk for MACE than those with 0% TPD (hazard ratio 2.05 [95% CI 1.21–3.47], P = 0.007). Patients with diabetes with a TPD of 0.5% had a similar MACE risk as patients without diabetes with a TPD of 8%.

CONCLUSIONS

For every level of TPD >0%, even a very minimal deficit of 0% < TPD < 1%, the MACE risk was higher in the patients with diabetes compared with patients without diabetes. Patients with diabetes with minimal ischemia had comparable MACE risk as patients without diabetes with significant ischemia.




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Mind or Stomach? Imagination or Necessity?

"An army marches on its stomach" said Napoleon, who is also credited with saying "Imagination rules the world". Is history driven by raw necessity and elementary needs? Or is history hewn by people from their imagination, dreams and ideas?

The answer is simple: 'Both'. The challenge is to untangle imagination from necessity. Consider these examples:

An ancient Jewish saying is "Without flour, there is no Torah. Without Torah there is no flour." (Avot 3:17) Scholars don't eat much, but they do need to eat. And if you feed them, they produce wonders.

Give a typewriter to a monkey and he might eventually tap out Shakespeare's sonnets, but it's not very likely. Give that monkey an inventive mind and he will produce poetry, a vaccine against polio, and the atom bomb. Why the bomb? He needed it.

Necessity is the mother of invention, they say, but it's actually a two-way street. For instance, human inventiveness includes dreams of cosmic domination, leading to war. Hence the need for that bomb. Satisfying a need, like the need for flour, induces inventiveness. And this inventiveness, like the discovery of genetically modified organisms, creates new needs. Necessity induces inventiveness, and inventiveness creates new dangers, challenges and needs. This cycle is endless because the realm of imagination is boundless, far greater than prosaic reality, as we discussed elsewhere.

Imagination and necessity are intertwined, but still are quite different. Necessity focusses primarily on what we know, while imagination focusses on the unknown.

We know from experience that we need food, shelter, warmth, love, and so on. These requirements force themselves on our awareness. Even the need for protection against surprise is known, though the surprise is not.

Imagination operates in the realm of the unknown. We seek the new, the interesting, or the frightful. Imagination feeds our fears of the unknown and nurtures our hopes for the unimaginable. We explore the bounds of the possible and try breaking through to the impossible.

Mind or stomach? Imagination or necessity? Every 'known' has an 'unknown' lurking behind it, and every 'unknown' may some day be discovered or dreamed into existence. Every mind has a stomach, and a stomach with no mind is not human.




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The Age of Imagination


This is not only the Age of Information, this is also the Age of Imagination. Information, at any point in time, is bounded, while imagination is always unbounded. We are overwhelmed more by the potential for new ideas than by the admittedly vast existing knowledge. We are drunk with the excitement of the unknown. Drunks are sometimes not a pretty sight; Isaiah (28:8) is very graphic.

It is true that topical specialization occurs, in part, due to what we proudly call the explosion of knowledge. There is so much to know that one must ignore huge tracts of knowledge. But that is only half the story. The other half is that we have begun to discover the unknown, and its lure is irresistible. Like the scientific and global explorers of the early modern period - The Discoverers as Boorstin calls them - we are intoxicated by the potential "out there", beyond the horizon, beyond the known. That intoxication can distort our vision and judgment.

Consider Reuven's comment, from long experience, that "Engineers use formulas and various equations without being aware of the theories behind them." A pithier version was said to me by an acquisitions editor at Oxford University Press: "Engineers don't read books." She should know.

Engineers are imaginative and curious. They are seekers, and they find wonderful things. But they are too engrossed in inventing and building The New, to be much engaged with The Old. "Scholarship", wrote Thorstein Veblen is "an intimate and systematic familiarity with past cultural achievements." Engineers - even research engineers and professors of engineering - spend very little time with past masters. How many computer scientists scour the works of Charles Babbage? How often do thermal engineers study the writings of Lord Kelvin? A distinguished professor of engineering, himself a member of the US National Academy of Engineering, once told me that there is little use for journal articles more than a few years old.

Fragmentation of knowledge results from the endless potential for new knowledge. Seekers - engineers and the scientists of nature, society and humanity - move inexorably apart from one another. But nonetheless it's all connected; consilient. Technology alters how we live. Science alters what we think. How can we keep track of it all? How can we have some at least vague and preliminary sense of where we are heading and whether we value the prospect?

The first prescription is to be aware of the problem, and I greatly fear that many movers and shakers of the modern age are unaware. The second prescription is to identify who should take the lead in nurturing this awareness. That's easy: teachers, scholars, novelists, intellectuals of all sorts.

Isaiah struggled with this long ago. "Priest and prophet erred with liquor, were swallowed by wine."(Isaiah, 28:7) We are drunk with the excitement of the unknown. Who can show the way?




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Here’s how Washington State’s nudge for state park donations works via its web site

A couple years ago, Washington State switched the default rule on state park fees that drivers pay (or don’t pay) when they renew their licenses. Reader Steve Loeb nicely captures what this switch looks like on the Washington State Department of Licensing site.




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IC2S2: 6th International Conference on Computational Social Science, MIT, July 17-20, 2020

SUBMISSION DEADLINE FEBRUARY 16, 2020 Call For Papers IC2S2 brings together researchers in computational science, complexity, and social science, and provides a platform for new work in the field of computational social science. Contributed abstracts are presented orally in parallel thematic sessions or as posters at the three day conference, which takes place at MIT […]

The post IC2S2: 6th International Conference on Computational Social Science, MIT, July 17-20, 2020 appeared first on Decision Science News.




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Where They Are: The Nation's Small But Growing Population of Black English-Learners

In five northern U.S. states, black students comprise more than a fifth of ELL enrollment.




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Texas Teenager Wins National Spelling Bee

Karthik Nemmani, 14, from McKinney, Texas, nabbed the Scripps National Spelling Bee champion title on Thursday night in Oxon Hill, Md.




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Assistant Principal Removed After Writing Book With White Nationalist Symbol

The assistant principal wrote a children's book featuring Pepe the Frog, a cartoon character that has been adopted by the alt-right.




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Colorado Earns a B on Chance-for-Success Index, Ranks 11th in Nation

This Quality Counts 2019 Highlights Report captures all the data you need to assess your state's performance on key educational outcomes.