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In 2011, Congress failed to pass the latest iteration of the DREAM Act. An important provision of the bill would have increased undocumented immigrant student access to in-state tuition for higher education. In the absence of federal legislation on the issue, state legislatures have begun to implement policies directly impacting access to such tuition benefits for undocumented students. State higher education governing boards have also begun to adopt policies impacting this group of students and their access to in-state tuition. This article examines the evolution and potential future of these two types of state efforts: 1) state DREAM Acts and 2) administrative DREAM Acts. It identifies states where such laws and policies have increased or reduced undocumented immigrant student access to in-state tuition for higher education. It also identifies states that have not implemented either of these efforts but nonetheless have adopted programs that impact such students or states where the two types of efforts conflict with each other. Finally, it highlights how these efforts reflect a "piecemeal approach" to policymaking and explore the potential implications for future policymaking that arise from this complicated landscape of immigration policy regarding this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Injury caused by trauma, burns, surgery, or disease often results in soft tissue loss leading to impaired function and permanent disfiguration. Tissue engineering aims to overcome the lack of viable donor tissue by fabricating synthetic scaffolds with the requisite properties and bioactive cues to regenerate these tissues. Biomaterial scaffolds designed to match soft tissue modulus and strength should also retain the elastomeric and fatigue-resistant properties of the tissue. Of particular design importance is the interconnected porous structure of the scaffold needed to support tissue growth by facilitating mass transport. Adequate mass transport is especially true for newly implanted scaffolds that lack vasculature to provide nutrient flux. Common scaffold fabrication strategies often utilize toxic solvents and high temperatures or pressures to achieve the desired porosity. In this study, a polymerized medium internal phase emulsion (polyMIPE) is used to generate an injectable graft that cures to a porous foam at body temperature without toxic solvents. These poly(ester urethane urea) scaffolds possess elastomeric properties with tunable compressive moduli (20–200 kPa) and strengths (4–60 kPa) as well as high recovery after the first conditioning cycle (97–99%). The resultant pore architecture was highly interconnected with large voids (0.5–2 mm) from carbon dioxide generation surrounded by water-templated pores (50–300 μm). The ability to modulate both scaffold pore architecture and mechanical properties by altering emulsion chemistry was demonstrated. Permeability and form factor were experimentally measured to determine the effects of polyMIPE composition on pore interconnectivity. Finally, initial human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) cytocompatibility testing supported the use of these candidate scaffolds in regenerative applications. Overall, these injectable polyMIPE foams show strong promise as a biomaterial scaffold for soft tissue repair. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article advocates that state legislatures have implemented their own laws regarding the abated state tuition advantages for undocumented immigrant college and university students, which constitutes a piecemeal approach to policymaking. It informs that the continuous absence of federal regulation on this issue would manifest the piecemeal approach only to policymaking in this regard.

Background: Individual corrected QT interval (QTc) may vary widely among carriers of the same long QT syndrome (LQTS) mutation. Currently, neither the mechanism nor the implications of this variable penetrance are well understood. Objectives: To hypothesize that the assessment of QTc variance in patients with congenital LQTS who carry the same mutation provides incremental prognostic information on the patient-specific QTc. Methods: The study population comprised 1206 patients with LQTS with 95 different mutations and≥5 individuals who carry the same mutation. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to assess the effect of mutation-specific standard deviation of QTc (QTcSD) on the risk of cardiac events (comprising syncope, aborted cardiac arrest, and sudden cardiac death) from birth through age 40 years in the total population and by genotype. Results: Assessment of mutation-specific QTcSD showed large differences among carriers of the same mutations (median QTcSD 45 ms). Multivariate analysis showed that each 20 ms increment in QTcSD was associated with a significant 33% (P = .002) increase in the risk of cardiac events after adjustment for the patient-specific QTc duration and the family effect on QTc. The risk associated with QTcSD was pronounced among patients with long QT syndrome type 1 (hazard ratio 1.55 per 20ms increment; P<.001), whereas among patients with long QT syndrome type 2, the risk associated with QTcSD was not statistically significant (hazard ratio 0.99; P = .95; P value for QTcSD-by-genotype interaction = .002). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that mutations with a wider variation in QTc duration are associated with increased risk of cardiac events. These findings appear to be genotype-specific, with a pronounced effect among patients with the long QT syndrome type 1 genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS) who harbor multiple mutations (i.e. ≥ 2 mutations in ≥ 1 LQTS-susceptibility gene) may experience increased risk for life-threatening cardiac events. Objectives: The present study was designed to compare the clinical course of LQTS patients with multiple mutations to those with a single mutation. Methods: The risk for life-threatening cardiac events (comprising aborted cardiac arrest, implantable defibrillator shock, or sudden cardiac death) from birth through age 40 years, by the presence of multiple vs. single mutations, was assessed among 403 patients from the LQTS Registry. Results: Patients with multiple mutations (n=57) exhibited a longer QTc at enrollment compared with those with a single mutation (mean±SD: 506±72 vs. 480±56msec, respectively; P=0.003) and had a higher rate of life threatening cardiac events during follow-up (23% vs. 11%, respectively; p=0.031). Consistently, multivariate analysis demonstrated that patients with multiple mutations had a 2.3-fold (P=0.015) increased risk for life threatening cardiac events as compared to patients with a single mutation. The presence of multiple mutations in a single LQTS gene was associated with a 3.2-fold increased risk for life threatening cardiac events (P=0.010) whereas the risk associated with multiple mutation status involving>1 LQTS gene was not significantly different from the risk associated with a single mutation (HR 1.7, P=0.26). Conclusions: LQTS patients with multiple mutations have a greater risk for life-threatening cardiac events as compared to patients with a single mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are a heterogenous population of multipotent and highly secretory cells currently being investigated in the field of wound healing for their ability to augment tissue responses. The adaptive response of MSC populations to the rigid substrate of current 2D culture systems has been considered to result in a deterioration of regenerative 'stem‐like' properties. In this study, we characterise how the improved culture of adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) within a tissue‐mimetic 3D hydrogel system, that is mechanically similar to native adipose tissue, enhances their regenerative capabilities. Notably, the hydrogel system contains a porous microarchitecture that permits mass transport, enabling efficient collection of secreted cellular compounds. By utilising this 3D system, ASCs retained a significantly higher expression of ASC 'stem‐like' markers while demonstrating a significant reduction in senescent populations, relative to 2D. Additionally, culture of ASCs within the 3D system resulted in enhanced secretory activity with significant increases in the secretion of proteinaceous factors, antioxidants and extracellular vesicles (EVs) within the conditioned media (CM) fraction. Lastly, treatment of wound healing cells, keratinocytes (KCs) and fibroblasts (FBs), with ASC‐CM from the 2D and 3D systems resulted in augmented functional regenerative activity, with ASC‐CM from the 3D system significantly increasing KC and FB metabolic, proliferative and migratory activity. This study demonstrates the potential beneficial role of MSC culture within a tissue‐mimetic 3D hydrogel system that more closely mimics native tissue mechanics, and subsequently how the improved phenotype augments secretory activity and potential wound healing capabilities of the MSC secretome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Men and women with type 1 long QT syndrome (LQT1) exhibit time-dependent differences in the risk for cardiac events. Objective: We hypothesized that sex-specific risk for LQT1 is related to the location and function of the disease-causing mutation in the KCNQ1 gene. Methods: The risk for life-threatening cardiac events (comprising aborted cardiac arrest [ACA] or sudden cardiac death [SCD]) from birth through age 40 years was assessed among 1051 individuals with LQT1 (450 men and 601 women) by the location and function of the LQT1-causing mutation (prespecified as mutations in the intracellular domains linking the membrane-spanning segments [ie, S2–S3 and S4–S5 cytoplasmic loops] involved in adrenergic channel regulation vs other mutations). Results: Multivariate analysis showed that during childhood (age group: 0–13 years) men had >2-fold (P < .003) increased risk for ACA/SCD than did women, whereas after the onset of adolescence the risk for ACA/SCD was similar between men and women (hazard ratio = 0.89 [P = .64]). The presence of cytoplasmic-loop mutations was associated with a 2.7-fold (P < .001) increased risk for ACA/SCD among women, but it did not affect the risk among men (hazard ratio 1.37; P = .26). Time-dependent syncope was associated with a more pronounced risk-increase among men than among women (hazard ratio 4.73 [P < .001] and 2.43 [P = .02], respectively), whereas a prolonged corrected QT interval (≥500 ms) was associated with a higher risk among women than among men. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the combined assessment of clinical and mutation location/functional data can be used to identify sex-specific risk factors for life-threatening events for patients with LQT1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Meta-analysis based techniques are emerging as powerful, robust tools for developing models of connectivity in functional neuroimaging. Here, we apply meta-analytic connectivity modeling to the human caudate to 1) develop a model of functional connectivity, 2) determine if meta-analytic methods are sufficiently sensitive to detect behavioral domain specificity within region-specific functional connectivity networks, and 3) compare meta-analytic driven segmentation to structural connectivity parcellation using diffusion tensor imaging. Results demonstrate strong coherence between meta-analytic and data-driven methods. Specifically, we found that behavioral filtering resulted in cognition and emotion related structures and networks primarily localized to the head of the caudate nucleus, while perceptual and action specific regions localized to the body of the caudate, consistent with early models of nonhuman primate histological studies and postmortem studies in humans. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) revealed support for meta-analytic connectivity modeling''s (MACM) utility in identifying both direct and indirect connectivity. Our results provide further validation of meta-analytic connectivity modeling, while also highlighting an additional potential, namely the extraction of behavioral domain specific functional connectivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Arrhythmic events in long-QT syndrome type 1 (LQT1) may be associated with exercise, acute arousal, or rest/sleep. Objectives: We aimed to identify trigger-specific risk factors for cardiac events in patients with LQT1. Methods: The study population comprised 721 genetically confirmed patients with LQT1 from the US portion of the International LQTS Registry. Multivariate analysis was used to assess the independent contribution of prespecified clinical and mutation-specific factors to the development of a first reported triggered event, associated with exercise, arousal, or sleep/rest. Results: Cardiac events occurred in 221 study patients, of whom 121 (55%) were associated with exercise, 30 (14%) with arousal, 47 (21%) with sleep/rest, and 23 (10%) with other triggers. Multivariate analysis showed that males <13 years had a 2.8-fold (P < .001) increase in the risk for exercise-triggered events whereas females ≥13 years showed a 3.5-fold (P = .002) increase in the risk for sleep/rest nonarousal events. Cytoplasmic-loop mutations within the transmembrane region, involved in adrenergic channel regulation, were associated with the increased risk for both exercise- and arousal-triggered events (hazard ratio = 6.19 [P < .001] and 4.99 [P < .001], respectively) but were not associated with events during sleep/rest (hazard ratio = 0.72; P = .46). Beta-blocker therapy was associated with a pronounced 78% (P < .001) reduction in the risk for exercise-triggered events but did not have a significant effect on events associated with arousal or sleep/rest. Conclusions: In patients with LQT1, cardiac events triggered by exercise, arousal, or rest/sleep are associated with distinctive risk factors and response to medical therapy. These findings can be used for improved recommendations for lifestyle modifications and therapeutic management in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Men and women with type 2 long QT syndrome (LQT2) exhibit time-dependent differences in the risk for cardiac events. We hypothesized that data regarding the location of the disease-causing mutation in the KCNH2 channel may affect gender-specific risk in LQT2. Objective: This study sought to risk-stratify LQT2 patients for life-threatening cardiac events based on clinical and genetic information. Methods: The risk for life-threatening cardiac events from birth through age 40 years (comprising aborted cardiac arrest [ACA] or sudden cardiac death [SCD]) was assessed among 1,166 LQT2 male (n = 490) and female (n = 676) patients by the location of the LQTS-causing mutation in the KCNH2 channel (prespecified in the primary analysis as pore-loop vs. non–pore-loop). Results: During follow-up, the cumulative probability of life-threatening cardiac events years was significantly higher among LQT2 women (26%) as compared with men (14%; P <.001). Multivariate analysis showed that the risk for life-threatening cardiac events was not significantly different between women with and without pore-loop mutations (hazard ratio 1.20; P =.33). In contrast, men with pore-loop mutations displayed a significant >2-fold higher risk of a first ACA or SCD as compared with those with non–pore-loop mutations (hazard ratio 2.18; P = .01). Consistently, women experienced a high rate of life-threatening events regardless of mutation location (pore-loop: 35%, non–pore-loop: 23%), whereas in men the rate of ACA or SCD was high among those with pore-loop mutations (28%) and relatively low among those with non–pore-loop mutations (8%). Conclusion: Combined assessment of clinical and mutation-specific data can be used for improved risk stratification for life-threatening cardiac events in LQT2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]