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A repeated cross‐sectional design was used to examine whether temporal changes in implicit Black‐weapon associations were dependent on the changing ethnic diversity of metropolitan areas over the course of a decade (2009–2018). Data on implicit Black‐weapon associations were obtained from Project Implicit. Three indicators of ethnic diversity were calculated using American Community Survey data. Minority representation referred to the proportion of African American residents. Variety was operationalized as the degree to which six ethnic groups each accounted for an equal proportion of the population. Integration assessed the degree to which ethnic groups were evenly distributed across census tracts making up the metropolitan area. Multilevel model analyses (N = 345,647 participants, nested within 185 metropolitan areas) revealed that implicit Black‐weapon associations weakened over time, and to a larger degree in metropolitan areas characterized by steeper increases in variety. This longitudinal relationship is consistent with the notion that, as metropolitan areas become more multiethnic, implicit associations between crime, danger, or violence and Black Americans decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study aimed to identify the visuo-cognitive tests and self-reported driving history that correlate with the Cumulative Simulator Score among 31 active drivers with valid commercial driver's licenses (CDL). • Ninety percent of participants were male, average age 53 years, CDL driving experience 21 years, 14 years of education, low medication usage, and strong performance on the visuo-cognitive tests. • The number of tickets as a CDL driver and the number of years of education had the most correlations with the Cumulative Simulator Score. • A higher number of pedestrians hit on the simulator correlated with more experience as a commercial driver, higher MOCA scores, and Trail Making Test-A time. • This data may help guide the future development of advanced screening tools to better evaluate commercial driver safety. Future steps include a more targeted study, narrowed to the significant variables, with a larger sample size. Driving commercial vehicles requires intact visuo-cognitive skills. Approximately 13% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in the United States involve commercial drivers. The ability to accurately predict risk factors for unsafe commercial driving is essential for public safety. Accurate prediction tools will advance the field of commercial driver science, provide policy guidance for driver testing and assist healthcare providers during testing. Prior studies have correlated clinical tools to roadway safety; translating these results to commercial drivers has not yet been done. This study aimed to identify specific demographic, driving history and visuo-cognitive test results that correlate with driving simulator performance. Using the Cumulative Simulator Score (CSS) as a surrogate for driving ability, the objective was to correlate both sets of data (self-reported and visuo-cognitive testing) with the CSS to identify screening tools for unsafe driving in commercial drivers. Principal Results. Baseline assessments of 120 variables were collected from October 2020 to January 2022. Of the 31 participants, 3 were female and 28 were male with a mean age of 53 years. Average BMI was 32, blood pressure 136/84, 32 years of CDL driving experience, 36,500 annual CDL mileage, 11,000 annual personal mileage, 14 years of education, average number of medications: 2, average number of medical conditions: 2, six participants with personal and/or commercial crashes or tickets in past five years, MOCA 27/30, Trails B time 66 s, UFOV Speed of Processing 15 ms, Stroke Disease Severity Assessment pass rate 94 %. The Cumulative Simulator Score (CSS), correlated significantly with education (r = 0.42; p = 0.02), commercial driving experience (r = 0.42; 0 = 0.02), and number of tickets as a commercial driver (Spearman rho = 0.40; p = 0.02). In a stepwise multivariable linear regression analysis, the number of tickets as a CDL driver in the past five years and years of education were retained as significant variables in the multivariable linear regression model, explaining 38 % of the variance of total scores on the CSS. Major Conclusions. Descriptive and self-reported driving characteristics correlate better with the Cumulative Simulator Score in CDL drivers than visuo-cognitive tests. Since simulator performance has been shown to be a reliable surrogate for driving performance, the number of tickets as a CDL driver in the past five years and years of education can be considered as additions to annual physicals for policy makers and health care providers to help assess their on-the-road safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sought to document that the extent to which different ethnic groups are perceived as embodying the American identity is more strongly linked to antiminority policy attitudes and acculturation ideologies among majority-group members (European Americans) than among minority-group members (Asian Americans or Latino/as). Participants rated 13 attributes of the American identity as they pertain to different ethnic groups and reported their endorsement of policy attitudes and acculturation ideologies. We found a relative consensus across ethnic groups regarding defining components of the American identity. However, European Americans were perceived as more prototypical of this American identity than ethnic minorities, especially by European American raters. Moreover, for European Americans but not for ethnic minorities, relative ingroup prototypicality was related to antiminority policy attitudes and acculturation ideologies. These findings suggest that for European Americans, perceptions of ethnic group prototypicality fulfill an instrumental function linked to preserving their group interests and limiting the rights afforded to ethnic minorities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of ethnic diversity and national identity in an immigrant nation such as the USA is a recurrent topic of debate. We review and integrate research examining the extent to which the American identity is implicitly granted or denied to members of different ethnic groups. Consistently, European Americans are implicitly conceived of as being more American than African, Asian, Latino, and even Native Americans. This implicit American = White effect emerges when explicit knowledge or perceptions point in the opposite direction. The propensity to deny the American identity to members of ethnic minorities is particularly pronounced when targets (individuals or groups) are construed through the lenses of ethnic identities. Implicit ethnic-national associations fluctuate as a function of perceivers' ethnic identity and political orientation, but also contextual or situational factors. The tendency to equate being American with being White accounts for the strength of national identification (among European Americans) and behavioral responses including hiring recommendations and voting intentions. The robust propensity to deny the American identity to ethnic minority groups reflects an exclusionary national identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In two studies conducted during the 2012 U.S. presidential election, we sought to determine whether the relative ascription of the American identity to Barack Obama and Mitt Romney was distinct from attitudinal responses and from associations about racial categories. We also tested the degree to which these associations accounted for voter support. In both studies, participants completed a series of Implicit Association Tests and reported their intention to vote for and their willingness to support these candidates. In contrast to implicit associations about racial categories (Black vs. White), Obama was implicitly seen as more American and elicited a more favorable implicit evaluation than Romney (Study 1). At the same time, these effects were reduced when candidates were categorized based on their racial (rather than personal) identity (Study 2). Implicit associations about the candidates (but not racial categories) accounted for intention to vote for them and relative willingness to support them over and above the effect of political orientation (Studies 1 & 2). These findings suggest that the implicit ascription of a national identity is an important facet of presidential elections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the recent financial crisis, the U.S. Government introduced new rules which allow Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) to issue elective stock dividends (ESDs), i.e., noncash dividends, to satisfy their distribution requirements. The purported goal of these rules was to provide temporary relief to REITs facing cash flow problems. We investigate how the introduction of these rules affects dividend policy of REITs. Surprisingly, we document that only 17 REITs chose to issue elective stock dividends. We examine the characteristics of these REITs and find that their cash flows are similar to REITs that do not select these dividends. This suggests that cash flow problems are unlikely to be the primary determinant of the ESD issuance decision. Instead, our findings indicate the decision to pay ESDs is related to the level of loans that are close to maturity, REIT size, growth prospects and poor performance during the financial crisis. Furthermore, we find that the same factors determine the ratio, amount and frequency of stock dividends issued by these REITs. We also examine the response of shareholders to ESDs announcements and find positive abnormal returns surrounding these dividend announcements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relation between principals' leadership and teachers' organizational commitment, mediated by distributed leadership. Data were collected from 1,495 teachers in 46 secondary schools. Structural equation modeling indicated that the effect of principals' leadership on teachers' organizational commitment is mediated by the leadership of assistant principals and teacher leaders, cooperation within the leadership team, and participative decision making of teachers. Therefore, principals should stimulate assistant principals and teacher leaders to take part in leading the school, lead the school in a collegial way with other members of the leadership team, and empower teachers to participate in school decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A health technology assessment (HTA) of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (CA-AF) was commissioned by the Belgian government and performed by the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE). In this context, a systematic review of the economic literature was performed to assess the procedure's value for money. Methods: A systematic search for economic literature about the cost-effectiveness of CA-AF was performed by consulting various databases: CRD (Centre for Reviews and Dissemination) HTA and CDSR (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) Technology Assessment, websites of HTA institutes, NHS EED (NHS Economic Evaluation Database), Medline (OVID), EMBASE and EconLit. No time or language restrictions were imposed and pre-defined selection criteria were used. The two-step selection procedure was performed by two persons. References of the selected studies were checked for additional relevant citations. Results: Out of 697 references, seven relevant studies were selected. Based on current evidence and economic considerations, the rationale to support catheter ablation as first-line treatment was lacking. The economic evaluations for second-line catheter ablation included several assumptions that make the results rather optimistic or subject to large uncertainty. First, overall AAD (antiarrhythmic drugs) use after ablation was higher in reality than assumed in the economic evaluations, which had its impact on costs and effects. Second, several models focused on the impact of ablation on preventing stroke. This was questionable because there was no direct hard evidence from RCTs to support this assumption. An indirect impact through stroke on mortality should also be regarded with caution. Furthermore, all models included an impact on quality of life (QoL)/utility and assumed a long-term impact. Unfortunately, none of the RCTs measured QoL with a generic utility instrument and information on the long-term impact on both mortality and QoL was lacking. Conclusions: Catheter ablation is associated with high initial costs and may lead to life-threatening complications. Its cost-effectiveness depends on the belief one places on the impact on utility and/or preventing stroke, and the duration of these effects. Having no hard evidence for these important variables is rather troublesome. Although the technique is widely spread, the scientific evidence is insufficient for drawing conclusions about the intervention's cost-effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the backdrop of the 2008 presidential election, we examined the extent to which the American identity was implicitly and explicitly associated with Barack Obama compared to Tony Blair (Study 1), Hillary Clinton (Study 2), and John Mc Cain (Studies 3 and 4). When conscious control was relatively limited and targets were categorized based on race, the American identity was less strongly associated with Obama than with the other candidates. This effect was stronger than when the candidates were categorized based on their personal identity (Studies 1-4), gender (Study 2), political affiliation (Study 3), or age (Study 4). In addition, the extent to which candidates were differentiated in terms of implicit and explicit associations with the American identity predicted the relative willingness to actively support them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perpetual foreigner stereotype posits that members of ethnic minorities will always be seen as the 'other' in the White Anglo-Saxon dominant society of the United States (Devos & Banaji, 2005), which may have negative implications for them. The goal of the present research was to determine whether awareness of this perpetual foreigner stereotype predicts identity and psychological adjustment. We conducted a series of studies with 231 Asian Americans and 211 Latino/as (Study 1), 89 African Americans (Study 2), and 56 Asian Americans and 165 Latino/as (Study 3). All participants completed measures of perceived discrimination, awareness of the perpetual foreigner stereotype, conflict between ethnic and national identities, sense of belonging to American culture, and demographics. In Study 3, participants also completed measures of psychological adjustment: depression, hope, and life satisfaction. All participants were students at a large, public university on the West Coast of the United States. Across studies, we found that even after controlling for perceived discrimination, awareness of the perpetual foreigner stereotype was a significant predictor of identity conflict and lower sense of belonging to American culture. From Study 3, we also found that, above and beyond perceived discrimination, awareness of the perpetual foreigner stereotype significantly predicted lower hope and life satisfaction for Asian Americans, and that it was a marginal predictor of greater depression for Latino/as. These results suggest that the perpetual foreigner stereotype may play a role in ethnic minority identity and adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implicitly, Americans of several ethnicities associate being American with being White (American = White effect). Three studies investigated the basis for this effect and tested its malleability. We predicted that African Americans would be included into the category American when they were perceived positively, but would be excluded when they were perceived negatively. Experiment 1 showed that subliminal presentation of positive African American stereotypic traits reduced the American = White effect, but that subliminal presentation of negative African American stereotypic traits increased this effect. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that presenting positive African American exemplars decreased the American = White effect, whereas presenting negative African American exemplars increased it. Experiment 2 also revealed that negative African American exemplars (compared to positive African American exemplars) reduced categorization of African Americans as American and that these categorizations accounted for changes in the American = White effect. In Experiment 3, when positive African Americans were presented, Americans (in general) were described as having more positive traits stereotypic of African Americans, but when negative African Americans were presented Americans were described with fewer negative traits stereotypic of African Americans. The results are discussed in terms of the relative inclusion/exclusion of subgroups into a superordinate group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In three studies, implicit and explicit measures were used to examine the interconnections between ethnic and national identities among Latino Americans and Caucasian Americans. Consistently, Latino Americans as a group were conceived of as being less American than Caucasian Americans (Studies 1-3). This effect was exhibited by both Caucasian and Latino participants. Overall, Caucasian participants displayed a stronger national identification than Latino participants (Studies 2 and 3). In addition, ethnic American associations accounted for the strength of national identification for Caucasian participants, but not for Latino participants (Study 2). Finally, ethnic differences in national identification among individuals who exclude Latino Americans from the national identity emerged when persistent ethnic disparities were primed, but not when increasing equalities were stressed (Study 3). In sum, ethnic American associations account for the merging versus dissociation between ethnic and national identifications and reflect a long-standing ethnic hierarchy in American society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research strives to identify one possible mechanism accounting for the American = White effect. In three experiments, a sequential priming task was used to examine the influence of Asian or White faces on the categorization of American or foreign landmarks. Process dissociation analyses revealed a stronger automatic tendency to respond "American" after White faces than after Asian faces when executive control failed (Experiments 1-3). This effect was not moderated by a manipulation of processing time (Experiment 2); it was, however, eradicated after completion of a training phase counteracting the American = White linkage (Experiment 3). The findings suggest that the pervasive propensity to equate American with White operates as an automatic accessibility bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers an analysis on the sequence-driven grass model system of foxtail millet, also known as the Setaria Italica. It states that foxtail millet is a diploid C4 panicoid crop, whose genome is being arranged by the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) of the U.S. Department of Energy. It mentions that it will be used in the investigation of plant architecture, genome evolution, and physiology in the bioenergy grasses. Discussions of the origin of foxtail millet are presented.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths despite the fact that detection of this cancer in early stages results in over 90% survival rate. Currently less than 45% of at-risk individuals in the US are screened regularly, exposing a need for better screening tests. We performed two case-control studies to validate a blood-based test that identifies methylated DNA in plasma from all stages of CRC. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using a PCR assay for analysis of Septin 9 (SEPT9) hypermethylation in DNA extracted from plasma, clinical performance was optimized on 354 samples (252 CRC, 102 controls) and validated in a blinded, independent study of 309 samples (126 CRC, 183 controls). 168 polyps and 411 additional disease controls were also evaluated. Based on the training study SEPT9-based classification detected 120/252 CRCs (48%) and 7/102 controls (7%). In the test study 73/126 CRCs (58%) and 18/183 control samples (10%) were positive for SEPT9 validating the training set results. Inclusion of an additional measurement replicate increased the sensitivity of the assay in the testing set to 72% (90/ 125 CRCs detected) while maintaining 90% specificity (19/183 for controls). Positive rates for plasmas from the other cancers (11/96) and non-cancerous conditions (41/315) were low. The rate of polyp detection (>1 cm) was ∼20%. Conclusions/Significance: Analysis of SEPT9 DNA methylation in plasma represents a straightforward, minimally invasive method to detect all stages of CRC with potential to satisfy unmet needs for increased compliance in the screening population. Further clinical testing is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was designed to assess ethnic disparities in CRC screening rates in a low-income population and to examine factors that could account for those differences. Participants were randomly selected and asked to complete a questionnaire about CRC screening. After controlling for gender, age, education, income, health insurance, and family history of CRC, differences in screening rates as a function of ethnicity remained. Physicians' recommendations and perceived efficacy of screening were also strong predictors of CRC screening. Psychological factors accounted in part for differences in screening rates between European Americans and Mexican Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In four studies, we investigated the role of person construal on the implicit ascription of a national identity. Participants completed Implicit Association Tests (Studies 1 and 3) or Go/No‐go Association Tasks (Studies 2 and 4) assessing the extent to which the concept American was linked to an Asian American celebrity (Lucy Liu) and to a White European celebrity (Kate Winslet). In contrast to explicit responses, the Asian American target was implicitly regarded as being less American than the White European target. This effect was more pronounced when targets were categorized based on their ethnic (rather than personal) identity (Studies 1 and 2) and when the exemplars draw attention to the ethnic identity of the Asian American target (Studies 3 and 4). These findings provide evidence for the flexibility of construal processes and the role of ethnicity in the implicit ascription of a national identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collared peccaries (Pecan tajacu) occur in the southwestern United States where fires can severely damage slow-growing, drought-resistant vegetation. Collared peccaries are herbivores and depend upon vegetation for food and cover. Coyotes (Canis latrans) are sympatric with collared peccaries and, in some areas, are significant predators of collared peccaries. Coyotes can affect prey populations directly by killing individuals and indirectly by influencing behavior, habitat use, and activity patterns. We evaluated the habitat use of collared peccaries in burned and unburned areas without coyotes present in 1998 and both with and without coyotes present in 2000. Collared peccaries used vegetation associations in the enclosure nonrandomly (P<0.10), with less use of burned areas than unburned areas. However, coyotes did not appear to influence habitat use of collared peccaries in the enclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six studies investigated the extent to which American ethnic groups (African, Asian, and White) are associated with the category "American." Although strong explicit commitments to egalitarian principles were expressed in Study 1, Studies 2-6 consistently revealed that both African and Asian Americans as groups are less associated with the national category "American" than are White Americans. Under some circumstances, a dissociation between mean levels of explicit beliefs and implicit responses emerged such that an ethnic minority was explicitly regarded to be more American than were White Americans, but implicit measures showed the reverse pattern (Studies 3 and 4). In addition, Asian American participants themselves showed the American = White effect, although African Americans did not (Study 5). The American White association was positively correlated with the strength of national identity in White Americans. Together, these studies provide evidence that to be American is implicitly synonymous with being White. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which estimated survival and cause-specific mortality of translocated bighorn sheep in Arizona from May 1979 to November 1997. Adoption of translocation to augment and reestablish populations of desert and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep; Description of the study area; Methods used; Results of the study; Discussion.

Presents a study that identified wildlife survey techniques used by state wildlife management agencies in western U.S. to assess the status of big-game species. Comparison of the techniques with state-of-the-art population sampling and estimation techniques; Details on the common methods used by state agencies for each wildlife species; Challenges to big-game surveys presented by resource advocacy groups; Costs of the survey techniques.

The article focuses on the regulations implemented by the government to businessmen in the U.S. According to the authors, the regulations have changed the relationship between the seller and the buyer, because of the removal of some bargains. They add that the regulations implemented by the government, will affect those who are starting and have small business. Furthermore, they cited the importance of removing existing barriers and preventing future regulations.

The article discusses a study which examined the serum cross-reactive response to a novel influenza A (H1N1) virus following the administration of seasonal influenza vaccine. A total of 5,469 confirmed human cases of influenza A (H1N1) virus was documented in the U.S., and 4,774 outside the country in May 2009. The study, which was conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, utilized stored serum specimens that were assessed in previous vaccine research. It found that vaccination of adults with seasonal trivalent inactivated influenza vaccines (TIV) led to seroconversion to the seasonal influenza A (H1N1) vaccine strain, while no seroconversions to A/California/04/2009 virus were found in children.