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The Schott Foundation for Public Education worked with Candid, a center for nonprofit resources and tools, over the past four years to critically examine K-12 education philanthropy's grantmaking priorities. Our project, Justice Is The Foundation, assesses the collective philanthropic impact of giving in the education sector through a lens of racial equity and racial justice. We believe that education philanthropy has an important and irreplaceable role to play in building a more just and equitable society: public schools touch 90% of students in the U.S., are often de facto centers of community and neighborhood cohesion, and have been a focal point of racial justice movements since Reconstruction. In early 2021, Schott launched this project with the first data set from our collaboration, Candid's data on grants made from 2017-2019. To ensure a more reliable picture of the kinds of grants we are examining—comparatively small slices of a much large sector—and to account for different grant cycles, we selected a three-year period for study. In our second report, released in August 2022, we covered grants made from 2018-2020. This current report, the third in our series, covers 2019-2021: for the first time fully encompassing the racial justice uprisings of 2020 and philanthropy's response.

Populations may adapt to similar environments via parallel or non-parallel genetic changes, but the frequency of these alternative mechanisms and underlying contributing factors are still poorly understood outside model systems. We used QTL mapping to investigate the genetic basis of highly divergent craniofacial traits between the scale-eater (Cyprinodon desquamator) and molluscivore (C. brontotheroides) pupfish adapting to two different hypersaline lake environments on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. We lab-reared F2 scale-eater x molluscivore intercrosses from two different lake populations, estimated linkage maps, scanned for significant QTL for 29 skeletal and craniofacial traits, female mate preference, and sex. We compared the location of QTL between lakes to quantify parallel and non-parallel genetic changes. We detected significant QTL for six craniofacial traits in at least one lake. However, nearly all shared QTL loci were associated with a different craniofacial trait within each lake. Therefore, our estimate of parallel evolution of craniofacial genetic architecture could range from one out of six identical trait QTL (low parallelism) to five out of six integrated trait QTL (high parallelism). We suggest that pleiotropy and trait integration can affect estimates of parallel evolution, particularly within rapid radiations. We also observed increased adaptive introgression in shared QTL regions, suggesting that gene flow contributed to parallel evolution. Overall, our results suggest that the same genomic regions may contribute to parallel adaptation across integrated suites of craniofacial traits, rather than specific traits, and highlight the need for a more expansive definition of parallel evolution.

The Schott Foundation for Public Education worked with Candid, a center for nonprofit resources and tools, over the past four years to critically examine K-12 education philanthropy's grantmaking priorities. Our project, Justice Is The Foundation, assesses the collective philanthropic impact of giving in the education sector through a lens of racial equity and racial justice. We believe that education philanthropy has an important and irreplaceable role to play in building a more just and equitable society: public schools touch 90% of students in the U.S., are often de facto centers of community and neighborhood cohesion, and have been a focal point of racial justice movements since Reconstruction. In early 2021, Schott launched this project with the first data set from our collaboration, Candid's data on grants made from 2017-2019. To ensure a more reliable picture of the kinds of grants we are examining—comparatively small slices of a much large sector—and to account for different grant cycles, we selected a three-year period for study. In our second report, released in August 2022, we covered grants made from 2018-2020. This current report, the third in our series, covers 2019-2021: for the first time fully encompassing the racial justice uprisings of 2020 and philanthropy's response.

The Schott Foundation for Public Education worked with Candid, a center for nonprofit resources and tools, over the past four years to critically examine K-12 education philanthropy's grantmaking priorities. Our project, Justice Is The Foundation, assesses the collective philanthropic impact of giving in the education sector through a lens of racial equity and racial justice. We believe that education philanthropy has an important and irreplaceable role to play in building a more just and equitable society: public schools touch 90% of students in the U.S., are often de facto centers of community and neighborhood cohesion, and have been a focal point of racial justice movements since Reconstruction. In early 2021, Schott launched this project with the first data set from our collaboration, Candid's data on grants made from 2017-2019. To ensure a more reliable picture of the kinds of grants we are examining—comparatively small slices of a much large sector—and to account for different grant cycles, we selected a three-year period for study. In our second report, released in August 2022, we covered grants made from 2018-2020. This current report, the third in our series, covers 2019-2021: for the first time fully encompassing the racial justice uprisings of 2020 and philanthropy's response.

Despite policy advances and changing public attitudes toward intimate partner violence (IPV), approximately 743 women were murdered by their current or previous intimate partner in Canada between 2011 and 2021 (Sutton, 2023). News media can play a significant role in shaping public opinions about IPV, including how it ought to be formally and informally responded to (Fairbairn & Dawson, 2013; Gillespie et al., 2013; Kajeepeta et al., 2017). Research has also demonstrated that media representation of law enforcement can impact officer’s understandings of their own occupation (Rantatalo, 2016). Previous studies have investigated news media’s representation of IPV and news media’s representation of law enforcement; however, no research has looked specifically at news media’s representation of law enforcement officers on cases of intimate partner femicide. Given that inaccurate and/or problematic narratives may be a barrier to effective law enforcement responses and reporting, further research is warranted. Using a blended method of reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), the purpose of this study was to answer the following research question: How was law enforcement represented in cases of intimate partner femicide in Albertan newspapers in 2020?, 2024-06

Phenotypic covariation among suites of traits may constrain or promote diversification both within and between species, yet few studies have empirically tested this relationship. In this study, we investigate whether phenotypic covariation of craniofacial traits is associated with diversification in an adaptive radiation of pupfishes found only on San Salvador Island, Bahamas (SSI). The radiation includes generalist, durophagous, and lepidophagous species. We compared phenotypic variation and covariation (i.e., the P matrix) between (1) allopatric populations of generalist pupfish from neighboring islands and estuaries in the Caribbean, (2) SSI pupfish allopatric lake populations with only generalist pupfish, and (3) SSI lake populations containing the full radiation in sympatry. Additionally, we examine patterns observed in the P matrices of two independent lab-reared F2 hybrid crosses of the two most morphologically distinct members of the radiation to make inferences about the underlying mechanisms contributing to the variation in craniofacial traits in SSI pupfishes. We found that the P matrix of SSI allopatric generalist populations exhibited higher levels of mean trait correlation, constraints, and integration with simultaneously lower levels of flexibility compared to allopatric generalist populations on other Caribbean islands and sympatric populations of all three species on SSI. We also document that while many craniofacial traits appear to result from additive genetic effects, variation in key traits such as head depth, maxilla length, and lower jaw length may be produced via non-additive genetic mechanisms. Ultimately, this study suggests that differences in phenotypic covariation significantly contribute to producing and maintaining organismal diversity.

Severe speech disorders lead to poor literacy, reduced academic attainment and negative psychosocial outcomes. As early as the 1950s, the familial nature of speech disorders was recognized, implying a genetic basis; but the molecular genetic basis remained unknown. In 2001, investigation of a large three generational family with severe speech disorder, known as childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), revealed the first causative gene; FOXP2. A long hiatus then followed for CAS candidate genes, but in the past three years, genetic analysis of cohorts ascertained for CAS have revealed over 30 causative genes. A total of 36 pathogenic variants have been identified from 122 cases across 3 cohorts in this nascent field. All genes identified have been in coding regions to date, with no apparent benefit at this stage for WGS over WES in identifying monogenic conditions associated with CAS. Hence current findings suggest a remarkable one in three children have a genetic variant that explains their CAS, with significant genetic heterogeneity emerging. Around half of the candidate genes identified are currently supported by medium (6 genes) to strong (9 genes) evidence supporting the association between the gene and CAS. Despite genetic heterogeneity; many implicated proteins functionally converge on pathways involved in chromatin modification or transcriptional regulation, opening the door to precision diagnosis and therapies. Most of the new candidate genes for CAS are associated with previously described neurodevelopmental conditions that include intellectual disability, autism and epilepsy; broadening the phenotypic spectrum to a distinctly milder presentation defined by primary speech disorder in the setting of normal intellect. Insights into the genetic bases of CAS, a severe, rare speech disorder, are yet to translate to understanding the heritability of more common, typically milder forms of speech or language impairment such as stuttering or phonological disorder. These d

INTRODUCTION: Central venous access devices (CVADs) are commonly used for the treatment of paediatric cancer patients. Catheter locking is a routine intervention that prevents CVAD-associated adverse events, such as infection, occlusion and thrombosis. While laboratory and clinical data are promising, tetra-EDTA (T-EDTA) has yet to be rigorously evaluated or introduced in cancer care as a catheter lock. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a protocol for a two-arm, superiority type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation randomised controlled trial conducted at seven hospitals across Australia and New Zealand. Randomisation will be in a 3:2 ratio between the saline (heparinised saline and normal saline) and T-EDTA groups, with randomly varied blocks of size 10 or 20 and stratification by (1) healthcare facility; (2) CVAD type and (3) duration of dwell since insertion. Within the saline group, there will be a random allocation between normal and heparin saline. Participants can be re-recruited and randomised on insertion of a new CVAD. Primary outcome for effectiveness will be a composite of CVAD-associated bloodstream infections (CABSI), CVAD-associated thrombosis or CVAD occlusion during CVAD dwell or at removal. Secondary outcomes will include CABSI, CVAD-associated-thrombosis, CVAD failure, incidental asymptomatic CVAD-associated-thrombosis, other adverse events, health-related quality of life, healthcare costs and mortality. To achieve 90% power (alpha=0.05) for the primary outcome, data from 720 recruitments are required. A mixed-methods approach will be employed to explore implementation contexts from the perspective of clinicians and healthcare purchasers. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval has been provided by Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) (HREC/22/QCHQ/81744) and the University of Queensland HREC (2022/HE000196) with subsequent governance approval at all sites. Informed consent is required from

Accelerator physics relies on numerical algorithms to solve optimization problems in online accelerator control and tasks such as experimental design and model calibration in simulations. The effectiveness of optimization algorithms in discovering ideal solutions for complex challenges with limited resources often determines the problem complexity these methods can address. The accelerator physics community has recognized the advantages of Bayesian optimization algorithms, which leverage statistical surrogate models of objective functions to effectively address complex optimization challenges, especially in the presence of noise during accelerator operation and in resource-intensive physics simulations. In this review article, we offer a conceptual overview of applying Bayesian optimization techniques toward solving optimization problems in accelerator physics. We begin by providing a straightforward explanation of the essential components that make up Bayesian optimization techniques. We then give an overview of current and previous work applying and modifying these techniques to solve accelerator physics challenges. Finally, we explore practical implementation strategies for Bayesian optimization algorithms to maximize their performance, enabling users to effectively address complex optimization challenges in real-time beam control and accelerator design.

Protected areas (PAs) are central to sustainability targets, yet few evaluations explore outcomes for both conservation and development, or the trade-offs involved. We applied counterfactual analyses to assess the extent to which PAs maintained forest cover and influenced well-being across 31,000 villages in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia. We examined multidimensional aspects of well-being, tracking education, health, living standards, infrastructure, environment, and social cohesion in treatment and control villages between 2005 and 2018. Overall, PAs were effective at maintaining forest cover compared to matched controls and were not detrimental to well-being. However, impacts were highly heterogeneous, varying by island, and strictness of protection. While health, living standards, and infrastructure aspects of well being improved, education access, environmental conditions and social cohesion declined. Our analysis reveals the contexts through which individual PAs succeed or fail in delivering multiple benefits, and provides insights to where further on-ground support is needed to achieve conservation and development objectives.

OBJECTIVE: Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is a rare and aggressive salivary gland malignancy. Herein, we present the largest single-institution review of SDC to date. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of all histologically confirmed cases of SDC seen at our institution from January 1, 2002, to August 1, 2022. Patient demographics, treatment, histological characteristics, tumor staging, and outcomes were extracted from the electronic medical record. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression survival analyses were performed. RESULTS: This study included 119 patients with a mean age of 66.2 years. Most primary tumors arose from the parotid gland (72.3%), and 23.5% were noted to be carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenoma. 57.1% of patients presented with regional lymph node metastasis, whereas 23.5% presented with distant disease. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated a 62.4% 5-year overall survival (OS) and a 69.0% 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS). Univariate analyses indicated that presence of regional lymph node disease (p<.001), distant metastasis (p<.001), perineural invasion (p = .027), and lymphovascular invasion (p = .018) were predictive of decreased OS and DSS. Trastuzumab administration was not associated with survival in HER-2-positive patients receiving chemotherapy. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that presence of nodal disease (HR 30.337, 95% CI 2.782-330.851, p = .005) and carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (HR 5.54, 95% CI 1.024-29.933, p = .047) were associated with decreased OS. CONCLUSION: Our patients had more favorable survival rates compared to prior studies, which may be due to lower incidence of nodal disease. Factors associated with worse survival included nodal and distant metastases, perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, and tumor size. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.

Despite policy advances and changing public attitudes toward intimate partner violence (IPV), approximately 743 women were murdered by their current or previous intimate partner in Canada between 2011 and 2021 (Sutton, 2023). News media can play a significant role in shaping public opinions about IPV, including how it ought to be formally and informally responded to (Fairbairn & Dawson, 2013; Gillespie et al., 2013; Kajeepeta et al., 2017). Research has also demonstrated that media representation of law enforcement can impact officer’s understandings of their own occupation (Rantatalo, 2016). Previous studies have investigated news media’s representation of IPV and news media’s representation of law enforcement; however, no research has looked specifically at news media’s representation of law enforcement officers on cases of intimate partner femicide. Given that inaccurate and/or problematic narratives may be a barrier to effective law enforcement responses and reporting, further research is warranted. Using a blended method of reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), the purpose of this study was to answer the following research question: How was law enforcement represented in cases of intimate partner femicide in Albertan newspapers in 2020?, 2024-06, 2024-04-19T23:28:54Z

Background. Diagnosis of a speech or language disorder can impose lifelong impacts on literacy, social skills, and employment outcomes. Rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorders are often accompanied by speech and language disorders with subsequent deleterious impacts. Although genetic neurodevelopmental disorders are individually rare, collectively they are common and contribute to a vast number of individuals living with speech and language disorders across the world. Chromatin-related disorders are one class of genetic disorder, each caused by a perturbed gene important for chromatin function. Aims. My thesis has three aims, which in turn, form three studies: (1) To provide a systematic review of speech and language outcomes across chromatin-related neurodevelopmental disorders, (2) To provide detailed speech and language phenotyping in individuals with pathogenic variants in KAT6A, namely KAT6A syndrome (also known as Arboleda-Tham syndrome), and to report genotype-phenotype correlation. (3) To provide a comprehensive phenotype of the speech and language profile of individuals with Koolen-de Vries syndrome (caused by KANSL1 variants or 17q21.31 deletions). Methods. Methods for each sub-study are detailed below: (1) A literature search was conducted on 70 chromatin-related genes (collated from two key chromatin disorder-related publications), to identify speech and language findings in human-based studies, (2) Participants aged 6 months to adulthood, with a confirmed genetic diagnosis of KAT6A syndrome (caused by a pathogenic KAT6A variant) were recruited through clinical collaborators, the Australian Association of Clinical Geneticists, and international family support groups. Exclusion criteria were the presence of any other confirmed genetic variant or syndrome likely to impact the clinical phenotype. Speech, language, non-verbal communication, feeding, and adaptive behaviour were assessed using a battery of standardised and formal assessments, and data were a

Speech and language development are complex neurodevelopmental processes that are incompletely understood, yet current evidence suggests that speech and language disorders are prominent in those with disorders of chromatin regulation. This review aimed to unravel what is known about speech and language outcomes for individuals with chromatin-related neurodevelopmental disorders. A systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines was conducted on 70 chromatin genes, to identify reports of speech/language outcomes across studies, including clinical reports, formal subjective measures, and standardised/objective measures. 3932 studies were identified and screened and 112 were systematically reviewed. Communication impairment was core across chromatin disorders, and specifically, chromatin writers and readers appear to play an important role in motor speech development. Identification of these relationships is important because chromatin disorders show promise as therapeutic targets due to the capacity for epigenetic modification. Further research is required using standardised and formal assessments to understand the nuanced speech/language profiles associated with variants in each gene, and the influence of chromatin dysregulation on the neurobiology of speech and language development.

The aim of this study is to evaluate and explore the deployment of adult migrants’ first languages (L1s) by multilingual assistants (MAs) in additional language (AL) learning for the opportunities they afford to include students. The context is Sweden’s Swedish for Immigrants programme, in which a teacher team appointed MAs to support their students’ efforts to learn Swedish. In this context, MAs aremultilingual school personnel employed to support the students in their Swedish language development by, among other means, using the students’ L1s. The ensuing research study set out to investigate and develop MA and teacher roles in promoting Swedish language development through L1 use. The quest to include the students permeated this investigation. Action research provided a framework for the teachers to study their classroom interaction with MAs as a basis for professional development. Group interviews complemented video data. Different dimensions of inclusion and Bakhtin’s thinking about other‐orientedness offer theoretical support. The results are presented as four cardinal contributions made by MAs with significant potential to include adult migrants in AL education. The teachers’ conception of dialogic activity specifies inclusion as a transsubjective enterprise that, through instructional restraint and translingual space, allows students to explore language and achieve progressively coherent responsive understanding. The MAs’ socioemotional work of reassuring, affirming, and imparting faith in student capabilities to communicate in and learn Swedish posits inclusion as an equilibrium between the demands of instructional situations and the psychological fortitude to manage them. MAs key role in contextualizing content illustrates the way inclusion can be realized by transferring language form and content to the students’ personal experiences, extensive knowledge, and everyday communicative realities. The teacher’s plan to entrust the MAs with the task of making t

Background: Dementia is a progressive chronic health condition that affects an individual’s cognition and functional status. Multimorbidity, the co-occurrence of multiple chronic health conditions, is common among persons with dementia. Network analyses can describe complex profiles of chronic health conditions through graphical displays grounded in empirical data. Research Objective: Our study compares the number of chronic health conditions and patterns of multimorbidity among persons with dementia residing in personal-care homes (PCH) and outside of PCH settings. Methods: Population-based administrative data, including outpatient claims, inpatient records, pharmaceuticals, and long-term care records were obtained from the Manitoba Population Research Data Repository. This retrospective cohort consisted of persons with dementia, ages ≥67 years, who resided in Manitoba from 2015-2020. A total of 138 chronic health conditions were ascertained using a modified version of listed conditions within the Clinical Classification Software. Networks, consisting of nodes (chronic health conditions) connected by edges (cosine index, which quantifies the strength of association between pairs of chronic health conditions), were stratified by residence location (in PCH versus outside PCH). Network properties, such as: number of associations per disease (degree) and network connectivity (density), were reported. A community detection algorithm identified community clusters and calculated associations within versus between community clusters (modularity). Results: Of 19,672 persons with dementia in Manitoba, 9,609 (49%) resided in PCH. The median number of co-occurring chronic health conditions was similar among persons with dementia in PCH (median: 6, Q1-Q3: 3-10) versus outside PCH (median: 7, Q1-Q3: 4-10). Networks properties were similar for persons with dementia in PCH versus outside PCH: median degree (11 versus 12), network density (0.15 versus 0.14), and modularity (0.18 ve

Background: The majority of residents in long term care (LTC) facilities are older and frail, with multiple comorbidities and reduced cognitive capacity. Although the evidence suggests that advance care planning (ACP) improves the quality of end-of-life (EOL) care and promotes a good death for residents of LTC, such planning rarely occurs in these settings. Moreover, while nurses are in the ideal position to facilitate ACP, there is a paucity of empirical research examining their engagement in ACP. Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop an inductively derived empirical model aimed at understanding the experiences of nurses working in LTC facilities, specifically with regard to their engagement in the ACP process. Design: A constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology was used to conduct this study. Symbolic interactionism (SI) and the socio-ecological model (SEM) served as sensitizing theoretical perspectives for this study. Purposive and theoretical sampling were used to recruit 25 registered nurses (RNs) from 18 proprietary and non-proprietary LTC facilities in Winnipeg, Manitoba who had worked a minimum of three months in LTC, were able to read/speak English, and were willing to provide consent to participate in the study. Methods: Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire; in-depth, semi-structured, audio-recorded, face-to-face/telephone interviews; field notes; and memos. Demographic data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Verbatim transcriptions of the interviews were analyzed with specific CGT coding procedures. Findings: The basic social problem that emerged from the data was that of nurses trying to craft and implement an ACP level that they believed would optimize residents’ comfort in LTC. The empirically derived theoretical model that captured the experiences, processes, and strategies of nurses trying to address the identified social problem was orchestrating comfort: getting everyone on the same page. This

Item does not contain fulltext, Speech and language impairment is core in Koolen-de Vries syndrome (KdVS), yet only one study has examined this empirically. Here we define speech, language, and functional/adaptive behaviour in KdVS; while deeply characterising the medical/neurodevelopmental phenotype in the largest cohort to date. Speech, language, literacy, and social skills were assessed using standardised measures, alongside an in-depth health and medical questionnaire. 81 individuals with KdVS were recruited (35 female, mean age 9y 10mo), 56 of whom harboured the typical 500-650 kb 17q21.31 deletion. The core medical phenotype was intellectual disability (largely moderate), eye anomalies/vision disturbances, structural brain anomalies, dental problems, sleep disturbance, musculoskeletal abnormalities, and cardiac defects. Most were verbal (62/81, 76.5%), while minimally-verbal communicators used alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) successfully in spite of speech production delays. Speech was characterised by apraxia (39/61, 63.9%) and dysarthria (28/61, 45.9%) in verbal participants. Stuttering was described in 36/47 (76.6%) verbal participants and followed a unique trajectory of late onset and fluctuating presence. Receptive and expressive language abilities were commensurate with one another, but literacy skills remained a relative weakness. Social competence, successful behavioural/emotional control, and coping skills were areas of relative strength, while communication difficulties impacted daily living skills as an area of comparative difficulty. Notably, KdVS individuals make communication gains beyond childhood and should continue to access targeted therapies throughout development, including early AAC implementation, motor speech therapy, language/literacy intervention, as well as strategies implemented to successfully navigate activities of daily living that rely on effective communication.

Objectives Skull base chordomas are locally aggressive malignant tumors derived from the notochord remnant. There are limited large-scale studies examining the role and extent of surgery and radiation therapy. Design Analysis of the National Cancer Database (NCDB) was performed to evaluate the survival outcomes of various treatments, and to assess for predictors of overall survival (OS). Participants This is a retrospective, population-based cohort study of patients diagnosed with a clival/skull base chordoma between 2004 and 2015 in the NCDB. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Results In all, 468 cases were identified. Forty-nine percent of patients received surgery and 20.7% had positive margins. Mean age at diagnosis was 48.4 years in the surgical cohort, and 55% were males. Of the surgical cohort, 33.8% had negative margins, 20.7% had positive margins, and 45.5% had unknown margin status. Age ≥ 65 (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.63-5.76; p < 0.001), diagnosis between 2010 and 2015 (HR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.26-0.90; p = 0.022), tumor size >5 cm (HR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.26-4.15; p = 0.007), and government insurance (HR: 2.28; 95% CI: 1.24-4.2; p = 0.008) were independent predictors of OS. When comparing surgery with or without adjuvant radiation, no survival differences were found, regardless of margin status ( p = 0.66). Conclusion Surgery remains the mainstay of therapy. Advanced age (>65 years), large tumor size, and government insurance were predictors of worse OS. Whereas negative margins and the use of adjuvant radiation did not appear to impact OS, these may very well reduce local recurrences. A multidisciplinary approach is critical in achieving optimal outcomes in this challenging disease.

Background: Dementia is a progressive chronic health condition that affects an individual’s cognition and functional status. Multimorbidity, the co-occurrence of multiple chronic health conditions, is common among persons with dementia. Network analyses can describe complex profiles of chronic health conditions through graphical displays grounded in empirical data. Research Objective: Our study compares the number of chronic health conditions and patterns of multimorbidity among persons with dementia residing in personal-care homes (PCH) and outside of PCH settings. Methods: Population-based administrative data, including outpatient claims, inpatient records, pharmaceuticals, and long-term care records were obtained from the Manitoba Population Research Data Repository. This retrospective cohort consisted of persons with dementia, ages ≥67 years, who resided in Manitoba from 2015-2020. A total of 138 chronic health conditions were ascertained using a modified version of listed conditions within the Clinical Classification Software. Networks, consisting of nodes (chronic health conditions) connected by edges (cosine index, which quantifies the strength of association between pairs of chronic health conditions), were stratified by residence location (in PCH versus outside PCH). Network properties, such as: number of associations per disease (degree) and network connectivity (density), were reported. A community detection algorithm identified community clusters and calculated associations within versus between community clusters (modularity). Results: Of 19,672 persons with dementia in Manitoba, 9,609 (49%) resided in PCH. The median number of co-occurring chronic health conditions was similar among persons with dementia in PCH (median: 6, Q1-Q3: 3-10) versus outside PCH (median: 7, Q1-Q3: 4-10). Networks properties were similar for persons with dementia in PCH versus outside PCH: median degree (11 versus 12), network density (0.15 versus 0.14), and modularity (0.18 ve

Background: The majority of residents in long term care (LTC) facilities are older and frail, with multiple comorbidities and reduced cognitive capacity. Although the evidence suggests that advance care planning (ACP) improves the quality of end-of-life (EOL) care and promotes a good death for residents of LTC, such planning rarely occurs in these settings. Moreover, while nurses are in the ideal position to facilitate ACP, there is a paucity of empirical research examining their engagement in ACP. Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop an inductively derived empirical model aimed at understanding the experiences of nurses working in LTC facilities, specifically with regard to their engagement in the ACP process. Design: A constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology was used to conduct this study. Symbolic interactionism (SI) and the socio-ecological model (SEM) served as sensitizing theoretical perspectives for this study. Purposive and theoretical sampling were used to recruit 25 registered nurses (RNs) from 18 proprietary and non-proprietary LTC facilities in Winnipeg, Manitoba who had worked a minimum of three months in LTC, were able to read/speak English, and were willing to provide consent to participate in the study. Methods: Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire; in-depth, semi-structured, audio-recorded, face-to-face/telephone interviews; field notes; and memos. Demographic data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Verbatim transcriptions of the interviews were analyzed with specific CGT coding procedures. Findings: The basic social problem that emerged from the data was that of nurses trying to craft and implement an ACP level that they believed would optimize residents’ comfort in LTC. The empirically derived theoretical model that captured the experiences, processes, and strategies of nurses trying to address the identified social problem was orchestrating comfort: getting everyone on the same page. This

Three hyperthermophilic methanogens, designated strain SG7T, strain SG1 and strain SLH, were isolated from the ABE and Tu’i Malila deep-sea hydrothermal vent fields along the Eastern Lau Spreading Center. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strains SG7T, SG1 and SLH were affiliated with the genus Methanocaldococcus within the family Methanocaldococcaceae , order Methanococcales . They shared 95.5–99.48 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to other Methanocaldococcus species and were most closely related to Methanocaldococcus bathoardescens . Cells of strains SG7T, SG1 and SLH were cocci, with a diameter of 1.0–2.2 µm. The three strains grew between 45 and 93 °C (optimum, 80–85 °C), at pH 5.0–7.1 (optimum pH 6.2) and with 10–50 g l−1 NaCl (optimum 20–25 g l−1). Genome analysis revealed the presence of a 5.1 kbp plasmid in strain SG7T. Based on the results of average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization analyses, we propose that strains SG1 and SG7T are representatives of a novel species, for which the name Methanocaldococcus lauensis sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is SG7T (=DSM 109608T=JCM 39049T).

Speech and language impairment is core in Koolen-de Vries syndrome (KdVS), yet only one study has examined this empirically. Here we define speech, language, and functional/adaptive behaviour in KdVS; while deeply characterising the medical/neurodevelopmental phenotype in the largest cohort to date. Speech, language, literacy, and social skills were assessed using standardised measures, alongside an in-depth health and medical questionnaire. 81 individuals with KdVS were recruited (35 female, mean age 9y 10mo), 56 of whom harboured the typical 500-650 kb 17q21.31 deletion. The core medical phenotype was intellectual disability (largely moderate), eye anomalies/vision disturbances, structural brain anomalies, dental problems, sleep disturbance, musculoskeletal abnormalities, and cardiac defects. Most were verbal (62/81, 76.5%), while minimally-verbal communicators used alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) successfully in spite of speech production delays. Speech was characterised by apraxia (39/61, 63.9%) and dysarthria (28/61, 45.9%) in verbal participants. Stuttering was described in 36/47 (76.6%) verbal participants and followed a unique trajectory of late onset and fluctuating presence. Receptive and expressive language abilities were commensurate with one another, but literacy skills remained a relative weakness. Social competence, successful behavioural/emotional control, and coping skills were areas of relative strength, while communication difficulties impacted daily living skills as an area of comparative difficulty. Notably, KdVS individuals make communication gains beyond childhood and should continue to access targeted therapies throughout development, including early AAC implementation, motor speech therapy, language/literacy intervention, as well as strategies implemented to successfully navigate activities of daily living that rely on effective communication.

This paper explores key aspects and computer security challenges to digital instrumentation and control systems, resulting from new and innovative designs of small modular reactors and microreactors, and which have an impact on their deployment and operation. In the last two decades, the interest in development and deployment of small modular reactors and microreactors has increased due to many driving forces, but of primary interest for computer security are those associated with the innovative attributes taking advantage of advances in digital technologies. Such attributes include, digital instrumentation and control, increased digital automation, and remote monitoring and supervisory control that may lead to improvements in the overall plant capacity factor; the capability of increasing installed capacity within a relative short time; and the lower capital cost compared to traditional nuclear power plants among others. Such features reinforce the need for instrumentation and control solutions and computer security measures being considered and maintained during the entire small modular reactors and microreactors lifecycle, from design to operation to decommissioning. Innovative small modular reactors and microreactors attributes may introduce unintended vulnerabilities to cyber-attack, for example, the need for secure communications between the local control room and remote operation and maintenance centers; the use of mutualized plant systems with digital technologies new to the nuclear industry, e.g. smart sensors and inferred process measurements; and strategies for modular construction with a more complex digital supply chain. The IAEA has been discussing with the international nuclear community these key computer security aspects and challenges related to the application of digital instrumentation and control and emerging digital technologies in the design and deployment of small modular reactors and microreactors. As participants in these discussions, in th

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess if Nigella sativa oil (NSO), a health supplement containing thymoquinone as a major component, can act as a protective agent in salivary gland stem cells following radiotherapy (RT) damage. METHODS: Forty, 10-week-old, male C3H/HeJ mice were randomized to four experimental groups: sham RT + H2O gavage (control) (N = 4); 15 Gy RT + H2O gavage (N = 12); sham RT + NSO gavage (N = 12); and 15 Gy RT + NSO gavage (N = 12). Weight changes, saliva production, and salivary gland histopathologic staining were recorded for each group over the course of the experiment. RESULTS: All mice in the sham RT + H2O gavage and sham RT + NSO gavage groups demonstrated 100% 60-day survival. RT + H2O compared to RT + NSO gavaged mice were significantly underweight by an average of 6.4 g (p < .001). Salivary output showed significant decline in RT + H2O gavaged mice at days 3 and 16, whereas salivary output in RT + NSO during these same time periods was comparable to the control. At day 60, all mice that survived recovered salivary function regardless of their treatment arm. Salivary specimens from the RT + NSO gavage group demonstrated early signs of recovery of Kr 5+ salivary gland stem cells in both submandibular and sublingual glands at day 16 with complete recovery by day 60, marked by strong histopathologic staining, whereas the RT + H2O gavage group did not recover as effectively. CONCLUSION: NSO may help preserve salivary function in mice treated with RT and may mitigate xerostomia by accelerating the recovery of salivary gland stem cells. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Not applicable.

Frailty is an age-related syndrome, marked by declines in various organ systems. Its baseline and progress are linked with increased mortality. Notably, frailty trajectories exhibit significant individual variability. Understanding these trajectories and their associated factors is vital. The study assesses conventional and extended Group-based trajectory analysis (GBTA) in mapping frailty trajectories, especially considering different missing data mechanisms. Objectives: Compare conventional and extended GBTA under various conditions. Explore frailty trajectories in older men using the Manitoba Follow-up Study (MFUS) data. Methods: Simulation studies were conducted to contrast the GBTA models. Data were crafted from distinct trajectory scenarios and missing data mechanisms. Metrics like absolute error and mean squared error gauged the models' accuracy. MFUS data, a Canadian longitudinal study on ageing, was employed for real-world frailty trajectory examination. A frailty index using daily living activities and comorbidities was established, measuring health variation. Results: Simulations showed the extended GBTA was superior when latent classes weren’t initially distinct, under varied missing data scenarios. With the MFUS data, the extended GBTA identified four frailty trajectories. Participants' age correlated with their frailty trajectory, but marital status and living arrangements didn’t. Conclusion: The extended GBTA outperforms the conventional method, especially with latent classes not distinctly separated initially. By leveraging both GBTAs on MFUS data, we gain insight into frailty's growth heterogeneity. This aids in devising impactful future prevention initiatives by understanding the nuances of frailty trajectories.

Frailty is an age-related syndrome, marked by declines in various organ systems. Its baseline and progress are linked with increased mortality. Notably, frailty trajectories exhibit significant individual variability. Understanding these trajectories and their associated factors is vital. The study assesses conventional and extended Group-based trajectory analysis (GBTA) in mapping frailty trajectories, especially considering different missing data mechanisms. Objectives: Compare conventional and extended GBTA under various conditions. Explore frailty trajectories in older men using the Manitoba Follow-up Study (MFUS) data. Methods: Simulation studies were conducted to contrast the GBTA models. Data were crafted from distinct trajectory scenarios and missing data mechanisms. Metrics like absolute error and mean squared error gauged the models' accuracy. MFUS data, a Canadian longitudinal study on ageing, was employed for real-world frailty trajectory examination. A frailty index using daily living activities and comorbidities was established, measuring health variation. Results: Simulations showed the extended GBTA was superior when latent classes weren’t initially distinct, under varied missing data scenarios. With the MFUS data, the extended GBTA identified four frailty trajectories. Participants' age correlated with their frailty trajectory, but marital status and living arrangements didn’t. Conclusion: The extended GBTA outperforms the conventional method, especially with latent classes not distinctly separated initially. By leveraging both GBTAs on MFUS data, we gain insight into frailty's growth heterogeneity. This aids in devising impactful future prevention initiatives by understanding the nuances of frailty trajectories.

QC 20230810

OBJECTIVE: Thymoquinone (TQ), the active constituent of Nigella sativa, has been shown to have anticancer effects in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This review aims to outline the properties of TQ, the known drivers in HNSCC formation, and summarize the anticancer effects of TQ in SCC. DATA SOURCES: Three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar) were queried for the key words thymoquinone squamous cell carcinoma. REVIEW METHODS: Publications that were not original research and publications that did not have full-text available for review were excluded. RESULTS: Sixteen research articles met the inclusion criteria. Our review demonstrates that TQ-induced cytotoxicity is associated with increased expression and activity of the tumor suppressor p53, proapoptotic proteins Bax and caspases, as well as decreased expression and activity of antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Mdm2. Additionally, TQ modulates cell-survival pathways such as the PI3k/Akt pathway. TQ synergizes with therapeutics including cisplatin and radiation. Early TQ administration may prevent carcinogenesis via upregulation of antioxidant enzymes, and TQ administration in the presence of cancer can result in disease mitigation via induction of oxidative stress. CONCLUSION: TQ acts as an upregulator of proapoptotic pathways and downregulator of antiapoptotic pathways, modulates the oxidative stress balance in tumor development, and works synergistically alongside other chemotherapeutics to increase cytotoxicity. TQ has the potential to prevent carcinogenesis in patients who are at high-risk for SCC and adjuvant treatment for SCC patients undergoing conventional treatments. Future studies should aim to identify specific populations in which TQs effects would be the most beneficial. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Not available.

BACKGROUND: The supraclavicular fossa is the dominant location for human brown adipose tissue (BAT). Activation of BAT promotes non-shivering thermogenesis by utilization of glucose and free fatty acids and has been the focus of pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches for modulation in order to improve body weight and glucose homeostasis. Sympathetic neural control of supraclavicular BAT has received much attention, but its innervation has not been extensively investigated in humans. METHODS: Dissection of the cervical region in human cadavers was performed to find the distribution of sympathetic nerve branches to supraclavicular fat pad. Furthermore, proximal segments of the 4th cervical nerve were evaluated histologically to assess its sympathetic components. RESULTS: Nerve branches terminating in supraclavicular fat pad were identified in all dissections, including those from the 3rd and 4th cervical nerves and from the cervical sympathetic plexus. Histology of the proximal segments of the 4th cervical nerves confirmed tyrosine hydroxylase positive thin nerve fibers in all fascicles with either a scattered or clustered distribution pattern. The scattered pattern was more predominant than the clustered pattern (80% vs. 20%) across cadavers. These sympathetic nerve fibers occupied only 2.48% of the nerve cross sectional area on average. CONCLUSIONS: Human sympathetic nerves use multiple pathways to innervate the supraclavicular fat pad. The present finding serves as a framework for future clinical approaches to activate human BAT in the supraclavicular region.

Jag ska presentera huvuddelarna i en nyare studie som syftar till att utforska användning av vuxna elevers förstaspråk genom språkstödjare och de möjligheterna de skapar för elevers inkludering i sfi studieväg 1. Studiens resultat presenteras som fyra bidrag från språkstödjare som verkar vara avgörande för inkludering av vuxna elever i svenska som andra språkutbildning. Dialog möjliggjort av en transspråkande miljö framställer inkludering som interaktionellt utrymme där eleverna kan hitta sina egna vägar till förståelse genom respons. Språkstödjares socioemotionella arbete med elever som inte vågar ta kommunikativa risker i klassrummet visar upp inkludering som en balans mellan undervisningens krav och elevernas psykologiska styrka att bemöta den. I språkstödjares samverkan kring elevers möjligheter att förankra deras framväxande språkliga kunskap i deras vardag, lyfts inkludering fram som ett pedagogiskt engagemang i att skapa meningsfullt och värdefullt undervisningsinnehåll. Språkstödjares uppgift att tillgängliggöra lärarens skriftliga återkoppling till eleverna genom deras starkaste språk synliggör inkludering som en kapacitet hos elever att självreglera utvecklingen av sina andra språk genom en metaspråklig medvetenhet.

One of the characteristics of additional language (AL) adult learners is that they have gained various levels of metalinguistic awareness (MLA) from learning their first language (L1) that can be used advantageously to orient to and understand how the new language works. However, a lack of first language literacy and fundamental alphabetic and script differences between their L1 and the AL can limit the usefulness of first language MLA for AL learning. Despite these difficulties, the importance of transferring MLA to AL learning is evidenced by empirical data showing emergent adult bilinguals making use of their metalinguistic knowledge to make sense of AL form and use. Pedagogic space and opportunity to use the students’ strongest languages is an important condition for being able to talk and think about the AL. However metalinguistic tasks need to be complemented by using the AL communicatively for fuller development of the AL language skills.

This presentation casts and exemplifies action research (Stenhouse, 1975) as a viable way of constructing credible knowledge about naturally occurring translanguaging for promoting professional understanding and development. The action research (AR) context is Swedish as a second language learning in which a teacher team decided to employ multilingual language assistants (MLAs) in their beginner courses to make possible the pedagogical use of the students’ first languages. The project design comprised four AR phases each with their own opportunities and challenges. Orienting to the research foci. Relevant AR questions emanate from the challenges of practitioners tempered, as this study shows, by research perspectives. For example, an initial focus on MLA’s work and role expanded to incorporate an orientation to first language support for optimizing second language learning. Mapping insider views of current practice. It is frequently difficult for outsiders to gain insider views. A hallmark of AR is to mobilize practitioners in investigating their own professional performances. In this study, teachers agreed to video film their classroom interaction with MLAs to make visible patterns of task distribution and language use. Turning data into action. In that analysis in AR is rooted in the local context and action-oriented, strategies selected for change in practice carry immediate, potent, professional validity. In the study, analysis of teaching sequences featuring teacher and MLA coordination was conducted collaboratively by teacher constellations. The challenge was that researcher and teacher conceptions of what analysis entails differed significantly. Achieving change. AR promotes change in professional practice through practitioner emancipation. Since the teachers had been involved as research partners in all the project phases, they understood and were corporately accountable to the action plan. While teachers subscribe to the importance of ongoing AR devel, Paper presenterat inom en colloquium med titeln “Focus on methodology in translanguaging research”.

Alla i skolan ska ”samarbeta med elevernas vårdnadshavare” men hur kan skola skapa ett tillitsfullt och motiverande samarbete med vårdnadshavare? Frågan är viktig utifrån forskning som påvisar en stark relation mellan vårdnadshavares engagemang i sina barns skolgång och barnens trygghet, utveckling och prestation i skola. Den närmaste bakgrunden till denna Skolledarnätverksträff utgörs av två skolor som har sett ett stort behov av att tänka utanför ramarna och att stärka samarbetet med vårdnadshavare genom nya samverkansformer som inkluderar vårdnadshavare utifrån deras förutsättningar. Ett samarbete mellan skolorna och Örebro universitet har lett till ett nystartat praktiknära forskningsprojekt som motiveras av ett behov för mer kunskap om hur lärare (skolpersonal?) och vårdnadshavare kan stödja och komplettera varandra – för elevernas bästa. Syftet med projektet är att bidra med kunskap om hur skolornas två modellerna a) familjestödjare och b) nätverk för vårdnadshavare används för att uppfylla skolans uppdrag att genom samarbete med vårdnadshavare skapa gynnsamma förutsättningar för elevens utveckling och lärande i skolan. Projektet syftar också till att undersöka vilka effekter samverkansmodellerna har för skolans och vårdnadshavares förutsättningar att bygga tillitsfulla relationer sinsemellan och hur modellerna kan vidareutvecklas. Dessutom är syftet att sprida forskningsproducerad kunskap till andra skolor. Under träffen ska skolans uppdrag att samarbeta med vårdnadshavare diskuteras utifrån en presentation av projektet.

This workshop draws on a research project in which bilingual language assistants (BLAs) were employed to provide first language support for adult additional language (AL) learners on the beginner path of a “Swedish for immigrants” programme. In the project, BLAs, without a teaching qualification, were engaged in extending the pedagogical range of the language teachers. What issues does this AL language education raise? This workshop seeks to engage participants in evaluating the kind of classroom work models the teachers used with BLAs for creating accessible learning environments in which students can develop their AL proficiency. By showing some “initial practice” and “developed practice” clips of BLA-mediated classroom interaction, participants can reflect on some of the pedagogical changes the teachers made and assess the effectiveness of their strategies. Participants are invited to share and discuss their thinking about using students’ L1 in AL teaching-learning, working with BLAs as well as possible ways of working with students’ strong languages without BLAs.

Subsurface ocean measurements are extremely sparse and irregularly distributed, narrowing our ability to describe deep ocean processes and thus also limiting our understanding of the role of ocean and marine ecosystems in the Earth system. To overcome these observational limitations, neural networks combining remotely-sensed surface measurements and in situ vertical profiles are increasingly being used to retrieve high-quality three-dimensional estimates of the ocean state. This study proposes a convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture for the reconstruction of vertical profiles of temperature and salinity starting from surface observation-based data. The model is trained on satellite and in situ data collected between 2005 and 2020 in the Atlantic Ocean. Rather than using spatially gridded in situ observations, we use directly measured vertical profiles. Different combinations of surface variables are analyzed and compared in order to determine the most effective inputs for the CNN. Furthermore, the relative importance of each of these variables in the vertical reconstruction is assessed using Shapley values, originally developed in the framework of cooperative game theory. The model performance is shown to be superior to current state-of-the-art methods and the same approach can easily be extended to other basins or to the global ocean.

This paper explores key aspects and computer security challenges to digital instrumentation and control systems, resulting from new and innovative designs of small modular reactors and microreactors, and which have an impact on their deployment and operation. In the last two decades, the interest in development and deployment of small modular reactors and microreactors has increased due to many driving forces, but of primary interest for computer security are those associated with the innovative attributes taking advantage of advances in digital technologies. Such attributes include, digital instrumentation and control, increased digital automation, and remote monitoring and supervisory control that may lead to improvements in the overall plant capacity factor; the capability of increasing installed capacity within a relative short time; and the lower capital cost compared to traditional nuclear power plants among others. Such features reinforce the need for instrumentation and control solutions and computer security measures being considered and maintained during the entire small modular reactors and microreactors lifecycle, from design to operation to decommissioning. Innovative small modular reactors and microreactors attributes may introduce unintended vulnerabilities to cyber-attack, for example, the need for secure communications between the local control room and remote operation and maintenance centers; the use of mutualized plant systems with digital technologies new to the nuclear industry, e.g. smart sensors and inferred process measurements; and strategies for modular construction with a more complex digital supply chain. The IAEA has been discussing with the international nuclear community these key computer security aspects and challenges related to the application of digital instrumentation and control and emerging digital technologies in the design and deployment of small modular reactors and microreactors. As participants in these discussions, in th

Three hyperthermophilic methanogens, designated strain SG7T, strain SG1 and strain SLH, were isolated from the ABE and Tu’i Malila deep-sea hydrothermal vent fields along the Eastern Lau Spreading Center. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strains SG7T, SG1 and SLH were affiliated with the genus Methanocaldococcus within the family Methanocaldococcaceae , order Methanococcales . They shared 95.5–99.48 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to other Methanocaldococcus species and were most closely related to Methanocaldococcus bathoardescens . Cells of strains SG7T, SG1 and SLH were cocci, with a diameter of 1.0–2.2 µm. The three strains grew between 45 and 93 °C (optimum, 80–85 °C), at pH 5.0–7.1 (optimum pH 6.2) and with 10–50 g l−1 NaCl (optimum 20–25 g l−1). Genome analysis revealed the presence of a 5.1 kbp plasmid in strain SG7T. Based on the results of average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization analyses, we propose that strains SG1 and SG7T are representatives of a novel species, for which the name Methanocaldococcus lauensis sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is SG7T (=DSM 109608T=JCM 39049T).

The aim of this study is to evaluate and explore the deployment of adult migrants’ first languages (L1s) by multilingual assistants (MAs) in additional language (AL) learning for the opportunities they afford to include students. The context is Sweden’s Swedish for Immigrants programme, in which a teacher team appointed MAs to support their students’ efforts to learn Swedish. In this context, MAs aremultilingual school personnel employed to support the students in their Swedish language development by, among other means, using the students’ L1s. The ensuing research study set out to investigate and develop MA and teacher roles in promoting Swedish language development through L1 use. The quest to include the students permeated this investigation. Action research provided a framework for the teachers to study their classroom interaction with MAs as a basis for professional development. Group interviews complemented video data. Different dimensions of inclusion and Bakhtin’s thinking about other‐orientedness offer theoretical support. The results are presented as four cardinal contributions made by MAs with significant potential to include adult migrants in AL education. The teachers’ conception of dialogic activity specifies inclusion as a transsubjective enterprise that, through instructional restraint and translingual space, allows students to explore language and achieve progressively coherent responsive understanding. The MAs’ socioemotional work of reassuring, affirming, and imparting faith in student capabilities to communicate in and learn Swedish posits inclusion as an equilibrium between the demands of instructional situations and the psychological fortitude to manage them. MAs key role in contextualizing content illustrates the way inclusion can be realized by transferring language form and content to the students’ personal experiences, extensive knowledge, and everyday communicative realities. The teacher’s plan to entrust the MAs with the task of making t, This article is part of the issue “Adult Migrants’ Language Learning, Labour Market, and Social Inclusion” edited by Andreas Fejes (Linköping University) and Magnus Dahlstedt (Linköping University).

Changes in gene regulation are thought to underlie most phenotypic differences between species. For subterranean rodents such as the naked mole-rat, proposed phenotypic adaptations include hypoxia tolerance, metabolic changes, and cancer resistance. However, it is largely unknown what regulatory changes may associate with these phenotypic traits, and whether these are unique to the naked mole-rat, the mole-rat clade, or are also present in other mammals. Here, we investigate regulatory evolution in the heart and liver from two African mole-rat species and two rodent outgroups using genome-wide epigenomic profiling. First, we adapted and applied a phylogenetic modeling approach to quantitatively compare epigenomic signals at orthologous regulatory elements and identified thousands of promoter and enhancer regions with differential epigenomic activity in mole-rats. These elements associate with known mole-rat adaptations in metabolic and functional pathways and suggest candidate genetic loci that may underlie mole-rat innovations. Second, we evaluated ancestral and species-specific regulatory changes in the study phylogeny and report several candidate pathways experiencing stepwise remodeling during the evolution of mole-rats, such as the insulin and hypoxia response pathways. Third, we report nonorthologous regulatory elements overlap with lineage-specific repetitive elements and appear to modify metabolic pathways by rewiring of HNF4 and RAR/RXR transcription factor binding sites in mole-rats. These comparative analyses reveal how mole-rat regulatory evolution informs previously reported phenotypic adaptations. Moreover, the phylogenetic modeling framework we propose here improves upon the state of the art by addressing known limitations of inter-species comparisons of epigenomic profiles and has broad implications in the field of comparative functional genomics.

Warm temperature anomalies are increasing in frequency in the global ocean with potential consequences on the goods and services provided by marine ecosystems. Recent studies have analyzed the distribution and dynamics of marine heat waves (MHWs) and evaluated their impacts on marine habitats. Different drivers can generate those anomalies and the emerging attributes can vary significantly both in space and time, with potentially different effects on marine biology. In this paper we classify MHWs based ontheir attributes and using different baselines, to account for different adaptive responses in phytoplankton dynamics. Specifically, we evaluate the impacts of the most extreme, long-lasting and high-intensity MHWs on phytoplankton communities using remote sensing data. We demonstrate marginal impacts on total chlorophyll concentrations which can be different across different ocean regions. These contrasting effects on phytoplankton dynamics are most likely the results of the different mechanisms generating the MHWs in the first place, including changes in front dynamics, shallower mixed layers, and eddy dynamics. We conclude that those drivers producing extreme MHWs can also induce different phytoplankton responses across the global ocean.

One of the characteristics of additional language (AL) adult learners is that they have gained various levels of metalinguistic awareness (MLA) from learning their first language (L1) that can be used advantageously to orient to and understand how the new language works. However, a lack of first language literacy and fundamental alphabetic and script differences between their L1 and the AL can limit the usefulness of first language MLA for AL learning. Despite these difficulties, the importance of transferring MLA to AL learning is evidenced by empirical data showing emergent adult bilinguals making use of their metalinguistic knowledge to make sense of AL form and use. Pedagogic space and opportunity to use the students’ strongest languages is an important condition for being able to talk and think about the AL. However metalinguistic tasks need to be complemented by using the AL communicatively for fuller development of the AL language skills.

Parent Support Advisor: A way of developing partnership between school and home? Research shows a strong relationship between parental involvement in children’s schooling and their academic achievement (Antony-Newman, 2019). These findings validate the task of the school to cooperate closely with parents. In 2019, a pre-school class to year 9 school appointed a parent support advisor (PSA) for the junior years to strengthen school-family relations and enhance conditions for children to succeed at school. In 2022, two more PSAs were appointed with a focus on years 4-6 and 7-9. A PSA supports an educational partnership between parents and school personnel through building trustful relationships with parents, boosting their confidence to manage challenges and guiding them towards other social service agencies if needed (Percy-Smith, 2011). This project’s goal is to investigate the role and effect of PSAs as a way of developing partnership between school and home. The aim is to generate knowledge about how schools can work successfully with parents for children’s best. How can parents’ potential to support their children’s learning processes, create pedagogically congruent environments at home and contribute to school teaching contexts be realized? How can a PSAs role be developed? The project is framed theoretically by the concepts of situated learning and legitimate peripheral participation (Lave & Wenger, 1991). Learning as situated casts learning as an integral aspect of participation in a social practice and foregrounds everyday events as rich sources of insight. Parents and teachers count as two legitimate participants in children’s education albeit with different perspectives, funds of knowledge and practices. Despite the rewards of participation, parents struggle with low self-efficacy regarding their parenting and often do not feel qualified to engage in their children’s schooling. In line with action research, this project’s focus emanates from a school

Frailty is an age-related syndrome, marked by declines in various organ systems. Its baseline and progress are linked with increased mortality. Notably, frailty trajectories exhibit significant individual variability. Understanding these trajectories and their associated factors is vital. The study assesses conventional and extended Group-based trajectory analysis (GBTA) in mapping frailty trajectories, especially considering different missing data mechanisms. Objectives: Compare conventional and extended GBTA under various conditions. Explore frailty trajectories in older men using the Manitoba Follow-up Study (MFUS) data. Methods: Simulation studies were conducted to contrast the GBTA models. Data were crafted from distinct trajectory scenarios and missing data mechanisms. Metrics like absolute error and mean squared error gauged the models' accuracy. MFUS data, a Canadian longitudinal study on ageing, was employed for real-world frailty trajectory examination. A frailty index using daily living activities and comorbidities was established, measuring health variation. Results: Simulations showed the extended GBTA was superior when latent classes weren’t initially distinct, under varied missing data scenarios. With the MFUS data, the extended GBTA identified four frailty trajectories. Participants' age correlated with their frailty trajectory, but marital status and living arrangements didn’t. Conclusion: The extended GBTA outperforms the conventional method, especially with latent classes not distinctly separated initially. By leveraging both GBTAs on MFUS data, we gain insight into frailty's growth heterogeneity. This aids in devising impactful future prevention initiatives by understanding the nuances of frailty trajectories.

Background: Dementia is a progressive chronic health condition that affects an individual’s cognition and functional status. Multimorbidity, the co-occurrence of multiple chronic health conditions, is common among persons with dementia. Network analyses can describe complex profiles of chronic health conditions through graphical displays grounded in empirical data. Research Objective: Our study compares the number of chronic health conditions and patterns of multimorbidity among persons with dementia residing in personal-care homes (PCH) and outside of PCH settings. Methods: Population-based administrative data, including outpatient claims, inpatient records, pharmaceuticals, and long-term care records were obtained from the Manitoba Population Research Data Repository. This retrospective cohort consisted of persons with dementia, ages ≥67 years, who resided in Manitoba from 2015-2020. A total of 138 chronic health conditions were ascertained using a modified version of listed conditions within the Clinical Classification Software. Networks, consisting of nodes (chronic health conditions) connected by edges (cosine index, which quantifies the strength of association between pairs of chronic health conditions), were stratified by residence location (in PCH versus outside PCH). Network properties, such as: number of associations per disease (degree) and network connectivity (density), were reported. A community detection algorithm identified community clusters and calculated associations within versus between community clusters (modularity). Results: Of 19,672 persons with dementia in Manitoba, 9,609 (49%) resided in PCH. The median number of co-occurring chronic health conditions was similar among persons with dementia in PCH (median: 6, Q1-Q3: 3-10) versus outside PCH (median: 7, Q1-Q3: 4-10). Networks properties were similar for persons with dementia in PCH versus outside PCH: median degree (11 versus 12), network density (0.15 versus 0.14), and modularity (0.18 ve

Background: The majority of residents in long term care (LTC) facilities are older and frail, with multiple comorbidities and reduced cognitive capacity. Although the evidence suggests that advance care planning (ACP) improves the quality of end-of-life (EOL) care and promotes a good death for residents of LTC, such planning rarely occurs in these settings. Moreover, while nurses are in the ideal position to facilitate ACP, there is a paucity of empirical research examining their engagement in ACP. Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop an inductively derived empirical model aimed at understanding the experiences of nurses working in LTC facilities, specifically with regard to their engagement in the ACP process. Design: A constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology was used to conduct this study. Symbolic interactionism (SI) and the socio-ecological model (SEM) served as sensitizing theoretical perspectives for this study. Purposive and theoretical sampling were used to recruit 25 registered nurses (RNs) from 18 proprietary and non-proprietary LTC facilities in Winnipeg, Manitoba who had worked a minimum of three months in LTC, were able to read/speak English, and were willing to provide consent to participate in the study. Methods: Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire; in-depth, semi-structured, audio-recorded, face-to-face/telephone interviews; field notes; and memos. Demographic data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Verbatim transcriptions of the interviews were analyzed with specific CGT coding procedures. Findings: The basic social problem that emerged from the data was that of nurses trying to craft and implement an ACP level that they believed would optimize residents’ comfort in LTC. The empirically derived theoretical model that captured the experiences, processes, and strategies of nurses trying to address the identified social problem was orchestrating comfort: getting everyone on the same page. This

Frailty is an age-related syndrome, marked by declines in various organ systems. Its baseline and progress are linked with increased mortality. Notably, frailty trajectories exhibit significant individual variability. Understanding these trajectories and their associated factors is vital. The study assesses conventional and extended Group-based trajectory analysis (GBTA) in mapping frailty trajectories, especially considering different missing data mechanisms. Objectives: Compare conventional and extended GBTA under various conditions. Explore frailty trajectories in older men using the Manitoba Follow-up Study (MFUS) data. Methods: Simulation studies were conducted to contrast the GBTA models. Data were crafted from distinct trajectory scenarios and missing data mechanisms. Metrics like absolute error and mean squared error gauged the models' accuracy. MFUS data, a Canadian longitudinal study on ageing, was employed for real-world frailty trajectory examination. A frailty index using daily living activities and comorbidities was established, measuring health variation. Results: Simulations showed the extended GBTA was superior when latent classes weren’t initially distinct, under varied missing data scenarios. With the MFUS data, the extended GBTA identified four frailty trajectories. Participants' age correlated with their frailty trajectory, but marital status and living arrangements didn’t. Conclusion: The extended GBTA outperforms the conventional method, especially with latent classes not distinctly separated initially. By leveraging both GBTAs on MFUS data, we gain insight into frailty's growth heterogeneity. This aids in devising impactful future prevention initiatives by understanding the nuances of frailty trajectories.

Background: The majority of residents in long term care (LTC) facilities are older and frail, with multiple comorbidities and reduced cognitive capacity. Although the evidence suggests that advance care planning (ACP) improves the quality of end-of-life (EOL) care and promotes a good death for residents of LTC, such planning rarely occurs in these settings. Moreover, while nurses are in the ideal position to facilitate ACP, there is a paucity of empirical research examining their engagement in ACP. Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop an inductively derived empirical model aimed at understanding the experiences of nurses working in LTC facilities, specifically with regard to their engagement in the ACP process. Design: A constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology was used to conduct this study. Symbolic interactionism (SI) and the socio-ecological model (SEM) served as sensitizing theoretical perspectives for this study. Purposive and theoretical sampling were used to recruit 25 registered nurses (RNs) from 18 proprietary and non-proprietary LTC facilities in Winnipeg, Manitoba who had worked a minimum of three months in LTC, were able to read/speak English, and were willing to provide consent to participate in the study. Methods: Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire; in-depth, semi-structured, audio-recorded, face-to-face/telephone interviews; field notes; and memos. Demographic data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Verbatim transcriptions of the interviews were analyzed with specific CGT coding procedures. Findings: The basic social problem that emerged from the data was that of nurses trying to craft and implement an ACP level that they believed would optimize residents’ comfort in LTC. The empirically derived theoretical model that captured the experiences, processes, and strategies of nurses trying to address the identified social problem was orchestrating comfort: getting everyone on the same page. This