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The article discusses the highlights of the conference "Enduring Slavery: Resistance, Public Memory, and Transatlantic Archives," by the Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City on October 10-12, 2019. The conference included a plenary session on the "New York Times'" 1619 Project, an art exhibit, and the awarding of the Harriet Tubman book prize to Kevin Dawson.

Background: Ethnic disparities in patterns of utilization and outcomes after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) were examined from Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database. Methods: Descriptive statistics were used for demographics of Whites, Blacks, or Hispanics undergoing RYGB with 1 year of follow-up, between June 2007 and October 2011. Multivariate logistic and normal regression models, controlling for baseline characteristics, examined relationships between race and outcomes. T tests were used for continuous variables and Pearson chi-square test for categorical variables. Results: Study patients (108,333) were79 % White, 12 % Black, and 9 % Hispanic. Fewer Black males underwent surgery (15 %) compared to Whites or Hispanics (∼22 %). Blacks compared to Whites were younger (42.7 ± 10.6 vs. 46.4 ± 11.6 years), heavier BMI (50 ± 9.1 vs. 47.4 ± 8.0 kg/m), and more often hypertensive (57 vs. 52 %). Other comorbidities were higher in Whites. Thirty-day mortality rate was equivalent (0.23-0.26 %), but serious adverse events were higher for Blacks (3.65 %) versus Whites (3.19 %) and Hispanics (2.01 %). At 1 year, weight and comorbidity burden declined significantly but less in Blacks despite adjustment for baseline characteristics. Conclusions: Fewer Black males underwent RYGB. Despite a smaller percent decline in BMI and comorbidities in Blacks, all races benefitted significantly from RYGB. Influence of other factors such as diet, culture, and genetics needs to be investigated further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The phalangodid harvestmen (Opiliones: Laniatores) fauna of the southeastern United States has remained obscure since original descriptions of many genera and species over 60years ago. The obscurity of this interesting group is pervasive, with uncertainty regarding basic systematic information such as generic limits, species limits, and geographic distributions. This situation is unfortunate, as the fauna includes several cave-obligate forms of interest from both conservation and evolutionary perspectives, and the group likely exhibits interesting biogeographic patterns because of their low dispersal ability. Here, we use DNA sequence data from two genes to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships of southeastern phalangodid taxa, for a sample of all described genera from the region. Our results demonstrate that the southeastern fauna is likely monophyletic, and is most-closely related to western North American phalangodids with a similar penis morphology. Within the southeastern clade, trends in the evolution of penis morphology correspond broadly to molecular phylogenetic patterns, although penis evolution is overall relatively conservative in the group. Biogeographically, it appears that western taxa in the southeast (i.e., from west of the Appalachian Valley) are early diverging, with later diversification in the montane southern Blue Ridge, and subsequent diversification back towards the west. This W>E>W pattern has been observed in other groups from the southeast. The multiple cave-modified species in the region are genetically divergent and appear phylogenetically isolated; explicit topological hypothesis testing suggests that troglomorphism has evolved convergently in at least three independent lineages. The total number of species in the region remains uncertain—mitochondrial COI data reveal many highly divergent, geographically coherent groups that might represent undescribed species, but these divergent mitochondrial lineages do not always exhibit divergence in either nuclear sequences or penis morphology. Many questions remain, but our studies provide a solid framework for further systematic investigations of this interesting group. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the effects of teacher-driven professional development on student learning and pedagogy. The article mentions teacher quality as being an important part of classroom and school success and suggests that teachers should have a role in planning and selecting their teacher development activities. The article discusses classroom practices, the Francis P. Collea Teacher Achievement Award Program (CTAAP), professional organization conferences, project-related training programs, university courses, and developing and evaluating curriculum.

Objective: Because hyperlipidemia is asymptomatic, many veterans affairs (VA) patients may not perceive it seriously. We assessed key Health Belief model concepts to describe patients' cholesterol-related health beliefs and examine associations between patient-level factors and desire to improve cholesterol control.Methods: We used baseline data from an ongoing randomized clinical trial. Eligible patients were receiving care at the Durham VA and had CVD risk-total cholesterol levels >130 mg/dL and/or <80% medication adherence in the previous 12 months. A survey assessed patients' health beliefs about high cholesterol and self-reported medication adherence. Multivariable logistic regression examined whether there was an association between desire to control cholesterol and cholesterol status.Results: Approximately 64% (n=155) of patients perceived high cholesterol as 'very serious'. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, patients who perceived high cholesterol as 'very serious' (OR 2. 26, p=0.032) and/or with high self-efficacy (OR 4.70, p<0.001) had increased odds of desiring cholesterol control.Conclusion: The factors most significantly associated with desire to improve cholesterol control were perceiving hyperlipidemia as 'very serious and self-efficacy for cholesterol control.Practice Implication: Educating patients, with the goal of appropriately increasing their perceived risk of disease, is likely necessary to impact cholesterol control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]