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The allocation of merit-based awards and need-based aid is important to both universities and students who wish to attend the universities. Current approaches tend to consider only institution-centric objectives (e.g. enrollment, revenue) and neglect student-centric objectives in their formulations of the problem. There is lack of consideration to the need to improve access and affordability to higher education. Previously, we contributed a metaheuristic and machine learning approach for optimizing strategies that allocate merit-based awards and need-based aid. The approach can be used to optimize both institutioncentric (e.g. enrollment and revenue) and student-centric objectives (affordability and accessibility to higher education). We now employed an improved version of this approach to explore comprehensively a recent admission dataset from our university. We showed that current applicants depended very much on financial sources other than federal and institution aid to attend the university. This potentially created a financial burden for many of these applicants. We identified seven budget-friendly strategies that promise to increase access to higher education significantly by more than 100%, while still keeping it affordable for students and limiting a budget increase to less than 7%. Additionally, we identified a total of 111 strategies, including those that benefit from more aggressive changes in the budget to obtain higher increases in enrollment, revenue, and/or higher affordability and accessibility for students. This method may be used by other institutions in ways that best fit their institutional objectives and students' profiles.

This paper is about identifying a nuance of social meaning which, I demonstrate, was conveyed in the Early and Late Modern period by the suffix "-oon." The history of non-native suffix "-oon" is presented by means of assembling non-native suffix "-oon" vocabulary in date order and sorting according to etymology. It turns out that standard nonnative "-oon" words (which are few) tended to stabilise early and be of y. A period of enregisterment, c. 1750-1850, is identified by means of scrutiny of non-native "-oon" usage in sixty novels, leading to the conclusion that four or more non-native "-oons" in a literary work signalled vulgarity. A link is made between the one-quarter non-European "-oons" brought to English via colonial trade, and the use of such "-oons" by non-noble merchants, traders and their customers splashing out on luxury foreign commodities. Thus, it is found that a suffix borrowed from Romance languages in the Middle English period received fresh input during the Early Modern period via non-European borrowings, resulting in sociolinguistic enregisterment in the Late Modern period.

This systematic review explores the relationship between achieving minimal disease activity in psoriasis and the progression of atherosclerosis. It investigates how biologic therapies and other treatments impact atherosclerosis markers, offering insights into therapeutic strategies. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science was conducted from January 1, 2000, to April 1, 2023, using terms such as psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, atherosclerosis, biologic therapy, vascular stiffness, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Eligible studies were those involving human subjects over 18, written in English, that provided quantitative atherosclerosis markers, including CIMT, CCTA, arterial pulse wave velocity (aPWV), fat attenuation index (FAI), and augmentation index (Aix). From an initial pool of 217 studies, 21 were included, grouped by treatments, including TNF-α inhibitors, IL-12/23 inhibitors, IL-17 inhibitors, DMARDs, phototherapy, and fumaric acid esters. The review found that TNF-α inhibitors significantly improved atherosclerosis markers such as CIMT, aPWV, FAI, and C-reactive protein (CRP), with reductions in these markers compared to no treatment, phototherapy, and IL-12/23 inhibitors. Additionally, IL-17 inhibitors demonstrated similar reductions in FAI compared to TNF-α inhibitors but showed a greater effect in reducing non-calcified plaque burden (12% vs. 5% for TNF-α inhibitors, p < 0.001) and also decreased CRP levels. Fumaric acid improved cholesterol metabolism (p < 0.04), and TNF-α inhibitors enhanced endothelial function (p < 0.01). Mixed results were observed when compared to DMARDs, indicating that patient-specific factors should guide treatment choices. In conclusion, TNF-α inhibitors are highly effective in reducing atherosclerosis progression in psoriasis patients, consistently improving vascular health markers like CIMT, aPWV, FAI, and CRP. IL-17 inhibitors also show significant efficacy, particularly in reducing non-calcified plaque burden, making them a valuable alternative to TNF-α inhibitors. Fumaric acid’s role in cholesterol metabolism suggests its potential in combination therapies. These findings support integrating TNF-α and IL-17 inhibitors into treatment protocols for psoriasis patients with comorbid atherosclerosis, improving cardiovascular outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth-Creative Action Research (Y-CAR) is a variant of participatory action research specifically suited for exploring and developing evidence-informed innovations to address complex social challenges such as climate change. In this paper, we present an overview of Y-CAR and explore its core defining features, potential for application in research and action, and connection to other action-oriented research methodologies. We draw on a range of examples of this emergent methodology that illustrates its evolution and core principles in action and show how it has been implemented in research. We conclude the paper by examining key learnings, future leverage points, and limitations to applying Y-CAR in practice.

Violence among children has been considered one of the fundamental issues inhibiting optimal child well‐being and learning. Violence is widespread in Albania. Understanding the factors that affect it and the complex nature of violence itself requires looking at root social, cultural and economic factors and the normative influences on these factors. This study aimed to explore social and gender norms impacting school‐related gender‐based violence, and children's potential role in challenging these social norms. This article focuses on findings from research in two schools in Albania, particularly on what children and adult‐supporters shared about their understanding of social and gender norms that perpetuate violence, and their recommendations for policy and practice to address them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To establish clinical trial readiness for dystonia, a crucial step is to develop a Patient-Centered Outcome (PCO) measure to capture therapeutic response in focal dystonia such as in cervical dystonia (CD). Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is the gold standard treatment for focal dystonia and yields improvement; yet the therapy may not meet all patient expectations as there is a high rate of discontinuation. A PCO that can measure therapeutic response, including the waxing and waning benefit of BoNT, across multiple domains and is easy to use on a frequent basis in the home environment is critical. Methods: A modified iterative Delphi process based on FDA (Food and Drug Administration) guidelines was used to develop and select items to document patient symptoms and response to treatment. Potential items then were improved using patient focus groups, validated for content with specialist panels, and confirmed items based on a patient survey. Using data from 200 CD patients in the Dystonia Coalition Natural History Database, initial PCO items were identified. Utilizing Random Forests, prospective items were analyzed for their contribution to the overall severity scores on the clinical and patient-centered outcome scales. Items that were repetitive were merged. Iterative meetings with a specialist panel consisting of neurologists, physical therapists, and Patient Advocacy Group (PAG) representatives as well as virtual focus groups of CD patients were held. An online survey was conducted with over 600 CD patients participating. Finally, specialist panel members provided input for a content validity ratio (CVR) with iterations until there was good agreement as to the relevance and clarity of the items. Results: PCO measures tailored for CD were successfully developed. The PCO consists of 16 items covering three domains (motor, disability, and psychosocial) and reflects the input of international specialist panels, more than 800 CD patients, and PAGs (patient advocacy groups) following FDA guidance. The PCO is simple enough to be used in an app-based format compatible with smartphones and tablets. Conclusion: This comprehensive CD PCO measure was developed through the combination of using robust existing patient centered data (from previous Dystonia Coalition Projects); active engagement with PAGs to provide the patient voice; and use of virtual focus groups and online surveys. This PCO will be used in a prospective study to characterize the therapeutic response to BoNT over time. This will provide peak effect size as well as capturing the "yoyo" effect during BoNT treatment; and will prepare for a future trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute, high-dose radiation exposure results in life-threatening acute radiation syndrome (ARS) and debilitating delayed effects of acute radiation exposure (DEARE). The DEARE are a set of chronic multi-organ illnesses that can result in early death due to malignancy and other diseases. Animal models have proven essential in understanding the natural history of ARS and DEARE and licensure of medical countermeasures (MCM) according to the FDA Animal Rule. Our lab has developed models of hematopoietic (H)-ARS and DEARE in inbred C57BL/6J and Jackson Diversity Outbred (JDO) mice of both sexes and various ages and have used these models to identify mechanisms of radiation damage and effective MCMs. Herein, aggregate data from studies conducted over decades in our lab, consisting of 3,250 total-body lethally irradiated C57BL/6J young adult mice and 1,188 H-ARS survivors from these studies, along with smaller datasets in C57BL/6J pediatric and geriatric mice and JDO mice, were examined for lifespan and development of thymic lymphoma in survivors up to 3 years of age. Lifespan was found to be significantly shortened in H-ARS survivors compared to age-matched nonirradiated controls in all four models. Males and females exhibited similar lifespans except in the young adult C57BL/ 6J model where males survived longer than females after 16 months of age. The incidence of thymic lymphoma was increased in H-ARS survivors from the young adult and pediatric C57BL/ 6J models. Consistent with our findings in H-ARS, geriatric mice appeared more radioresistant than other models, with a lifespan and thymic lymphoma incidence more similar to nonirradiated controls than other models. Increased levels of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines in DEARE bone marrow and serum correlated with shortened lifespan and malignancy, consistent with other animal models and human data. Of interest, G-CSF levels in bone marrow and serum 8-11 months after irradiation were significantly increased in females. Importantly, treatment with granulopoietic cytokine MCM for radiomitigation of H-ARS did not influence the long-term survival rate or incidence of thymic lymphoma in any model. Taken together, these findings indicate that the lifespan of H-ARS survivors was significantly decreased regardless of age at time of exposure or genetic diversity, and was unaffected by earlier treatment with granulopoietic cytokines for radiomitigation of H-ARS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundClinical characteristics of isolated idiopathic cervical dystonia such as onset site and spread to and from additional body regions have been addressed in single-site studies with limited data and incomplete or variable dissociation of focal and segmental subtypes. The objectives of this study were to characterize the clinical characteristics and demographics of isolated idiopathic cervical dystonia in the largest standardized multicenter cohort.MethodsThe Dystonia Coalition, through a consortium of 37 recruiting sites in North America, Europe, and Australia, recruited 1477 participants with focal (60.7%) or segmental (39.3%) cervical dystonia on examination. Clinical and demographic characteristics were evaluated in terms of the body region of dystonia onset and spread.ResultsSite of dystonia onset was: (1) focal neck only (78.5%), (2) focal onset elsewhere with later segmental spread to neck (13.3%), and (3) segmental onset with initial neck involvement (8.2%). Frequency of spread from focal cervical to segmental dystonia (22.8%) was consistent with prior reports, but frequency of segmental onset with initial neck involvement was substantially higher than the 3% previously reported. Cervical dystonia with focal neck onset, more than other subtypes, was associated with spread and tremor of any type. Sensory tricks were less frequent in cervical dystonia with segmental components, and segmental cervical onset occurred at an older age.ConclusionsSubgroups had modest but significant differences in the clinical characteristics that may represent different clinical entities or pathophysiologic subtypes. These findings are critical for design and implementation of studies to describe, treat, or modify disease progression in idiopathic isolated cervical dystonia. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

BackgroundDengue is a leading cause of morbidity throughout the tropics; however, accurate population-based estimates of mortality rates are not available.Methods/principal findingsWe established the Enhanced Fatal Acute Febrile Illness Surveillance System (EFASS) to estimate dengue mortality rates in Puerto Rico. Healthcare professionals submitted serum and tissue specimens from patients who died from a dengue-like acute febrile illness, and death certificates were reviewed to identify additional cases. Specimens were tested for markers of dengue virus (DENV) infection by molecular, immunologic, and immunohistochemical methods, and were also tested for West Nile virus, Leptospira spp., and other pathogens based on histopathologic findings. Medical records were reviewed and clinical data abstracted. A total of 311 deaths were identified, of which 58 (19%) were DENV laboratory-positive. Dengue mortality rates were 1.05 per 100,000 population in 2010, 0.16 in 2011 and 0.36 in 2012. Dengue mortality was highest among adults 19-64 years and seniors ≥65 years (1.17 and 1.66 deaths per 100,000, respectively). Other pathogens identified included 34 Leptospira spp. cases and one case of Burkholderia pseudomallei and Neisseria meningitidis.Conclusions/significanceEFASS showed that dengue mortality rates among adults were higher than reported for influenza, and identified a leptospirosis outbreak and index cases of melioidosis and meningitis.

Although play exemplifies one of the highest forms of experiential learning and can foster creativity and innovation in adults, it is less frequently used explicitly in adult training. This short article explores a play-based approach to enhance teachers' confidence in using play-based pedagogy through a case study on the Continuum of Teacher Training (COTT), Right To Play International's in-service teacher training programme. The CoTT is a 21-day programme, which is contextualized and delivered in 16 countries. It integrates play-based learning methods into teaching practice while aligning with local curriculum and infusing academic content with social-emotional skills development. The article concludes with preliminary insights on the impact of the model on children's social-emotional learning and academic achievement and argues for the critical importance of play for adults to support intergenerational relationships and quality play-based approaches.

The use of technology in assessment continues to evolve the field of educational measurement. This article reports on development and use of new accessible, technology-enhanced assessments designed to measure the three-dimensional science abilities of middle school students. The assessments were piloted with over 70 teachers and 8,000 students throughout the United States over a 3-year period. The adoption and implementation of technology-enhanced assessments is potentially challenging for educators, and numerous factors can influence whether new tools are successful in classroom contexts. The authors describe the assessments alongside insights from project surveys into the conditions that supported or hindered teachers' successful implementation and use of the new assessments in classroom settings. Results indicate that teachers found the assessments useful for supporting the transition to instruction based on Next Generation Science Standards and preparing students for new state science tests. Successful uptake of the materials in the classroom was supported by professional learning that anticipated teachers' content, technology, and pedagogical needs. While the assessments were overall successful, areas for potential improvement are also described, including improved reporting formats that are more teacher and student friendly.