Search

The Mystery Motivator intervention has been shown to increase prosocial behavior among school-age children by capitalizing on the anticipation afforded by reward concealment or randomization. Although numerous evaluations have supported the effectiveness of the Mystery Motivator, the overall status of this intervention is still unknown. The purpose of the current meta-analysis was to quantify the effects of the Mystery Motivator for improving behavior outcomes in school-age children and determine if participant, setting, and intervention components moderate intervention effects. A systematic review of academic databases was conducted that yielded a total of 24 studies. These studies were evaluated for methodological rigor and analyzed for effects using Tau-U. Results indicate a strong overall effect for this intervention (Tau-U =.77 (CI95 [.73 to.80]). The results discussed and practical issues are considered for future research on the use of the Mystery Motivator to promote the academic and social-emotional development of children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The free space di-proton (1p1p) and di-neutron (o n o n) are not bound and are non-existent. However, the latter can and does exist as a 1S o entity in the confines of a quantum field of a nearby nucleus. Igor Kadenko et al. have shown that when a single low energy neutron approaches within femtometers of a Tb or Au nucleus, o n actually sequesters a neutron from the nuclear skin to form the di-neutron (o n ↓ o n ↑) residing in the quantum field (QF) of the heavy nucleus. This product can be expressed as [ Φ n1 ⊗ Φ n2 ] ⊗ Φ Nuc (a three-body problem), leaving the di-neutron free to fuse with the nearby nucleus leading to useful transmutation products. During Fleischmann-Pons heat effect (FPHE) electrolysis experiments, the di-neutron is also formed via deuteron-electron capture; Φ e - ⊗ Φ D + (for a near relativistic electron) suggests a positive scattering length (electron penetration below the Bohr radius) and di-neutron formation. Since the uncharged o n o n can freely pass through the Coulomb barrier of the deuteron (2D+), the resulting hydrogen-4 can undergo electro-weak decay to 4He. The di-neutron provides a mechanism for the FPHE observed during the electrolysis of palladium deuteride in D 2 O, which has now been confirmed and reproduced by M. R. Staker. • The di-neutron serves as the reactive intermediate in the Fleischmann-Pons Heat Effect. • The bound di-neutron is kinematically stabilized when near a large metal nucleus. • The bound di-neutron can fuse with deuterium in the absence of a Coulombic barrier. • When the bound di-neutron fuses with a deuteron, excess heat and helium-4 and hydrogen-3 are formed. • The di-neutron is non-ionizable and is applicable towards a variety of useful transmutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Born in London in 1936, Stuart completed his university studies at Oxford, where he graduated in History in 1956 and obtained his PhD in 1961. From 1961 to 1965 he was a Fellow of Pembroke College in Cambridge, and from 1964 to 1974 was first Reader in Italian History and then Director of the Centre for Advanced Study of Italian Society at the University of Reading. In 1975 he became founding Professor of History at the University of Essex, a position he held until 1996. From 1983 to 1992 he also taught at the European University Institute in San Domenico di Fiesole. His teaching activity took him to numerous universities in France, Spain, Portugal, the United States and Australia. From 1996 until his retirement, he was Professor of Contemporary History at the "Ca 'Foscari" University in Venice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses objectivity in economics. It criticizes a closed science, ‘view from nowhere’ conception of economics and defends an open science, ‘view from somewhere’ conception of objective science. It ascribes the first conception to mainstream economics, associates it with its principle practices – reductionist modeling, formalization, limited interdisciplinarity, and value neutrality – and argues their foundation is the Homo economicus individual conception. Two problematic consequences of adopting this stance are: (i) value blindness regarding the range and complexity of human values; (ii) fatalism regarding human behavior associated with employing a tenseless representation of time. The paper contrasts the principle practices of an open science, view from science conception – complexity modeling, mixed methods, strong relationships to other disciplines, and value diversity – and argues their foundation is a socially and historically embedded economics individual conception that avoids the value blindness and fatalism problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 2007 to 2019, over 650 public schools closed in Puerto Rico. School closures not only affect students and teachers; these spaces serve as anchor institutions providing social infrastructure for the sustained health of communities. While closed schools remove a critical community asset, these vacant buildings provide adaptive reuse opportunities for alternative social infrastructure and community resources. This article explores how abandoned schools are repurposed in Puerto Rico, focusing on "rescued schools"—that is, grassroots, voluntary initiatives that repurpose schools to support community development. Through a multi-method approach, we categorized and mapped 161 repurposed schools throughout Puerto Rico—38 were rescued schools—and conducted twelve interviews and two focus groups on rescued school initiatives. Our results describe how abandoned schools offer a galvanizing opportunity for motivated community members to meet emerging, localized needs, and the challenges in gaining school ownership and attracting sustained financial and volunteer support, the lack of which impedes their potential impact. We demonstrate how rescued schools embody alternative regional political visions within Puerto Rico and argue that government authorities can minimize the harm from school closures by forging new partnerships between community-based organizations, municipal governments, and other supportive actors to repurpose schools and reproduce their role as community anchor institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) has been underrecognized in church discipleship and spiritual formation programs, and that the development of emotional intelligence needs to be more fully incorporated in such programs in both church and seminary settings. The timeliness and need for additional study of EI is shown; current literature on discipleship and spiritual formation is surveyed; reasons for the relative neglect of EI in theological training and spiritual formation are identified; a biblical rationale for recovering EI as an essential element for discipleship and spiritual formation is presented, with Phil 4:4-9 examined as a biblical case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that preaching and teaching on human nature should not begin at the beginning, with Gen 1:26-28 and the Image of God----but with the ending----with Christ, the Second Adam, the true image of God, in whom the redeemed are being renewed, and in whom the redeemed will finally be glorified. A method of whole-brain sermon preparation is presented, in which narrative, conceptual, and visual tools are employed, with a view to engaging the listener's mind, emotions, and will. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) principles have emerged as the template for e-waste policies, centered on establishing regulated collection and recycling channels. Originating in the global North, these policies are increasingly adopted in the global South where e-waste is primarily 'managed' by the informal sector, centered in spatially defined hubs. These formal systems fail to achieve collection quotas, while further marginalizing informal recyclers by delegitimizing their access to e-waste. We suggest an alternative hub-centered approach to e-waste reform based on eight years of research and advocacy within the Israel-West Bank e-waste system. We offer several converging rationales for centralizing hubs in e-waste policies and a case study demonstrating an integrated hub-driven package of business, enforcement, and cleanup measures. While the unique complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian case offer an exceptional window into the dynamics of a hub-driven approach, similar packages might shape e-waste policy reform throughout the global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past two decades, international development non-government organizations (INGOs) have proliferated in the global North. In Canada, there are ∼1350 registered INGOs—of which, 950 were established in 2000 or later, 1192 receive no federal government funding, 1202 have annual revenues under CAD one million dollars, and 709 have no full-time employees. This new wave of Small and Medium Organizations (SMOs) epitomises the decentralisation of global development as private aid has surpassed Official Development Assistance funding. Yet, recent studies suggest SMOs have a short lifespan and fail to progress beyond service provision representing the first evolutionary stage of INGO maturation. Our study combines surveys (n: 95) and interviews (n: 18) with Canadian SMOs to explore growth aspirations along with their challenges and strategies to increase revenue. Our results show that nearly all Canadian SMOs desire organisational growth, and pursue diverse funding sources and innovative strategies to increase revenue. However, for SMOs, growth means doing more of the same thing—they are committed to improving the living conditions of their target population—which contradicts best practices to scale up INGO impact and may necessitate alternative organisational evolutionary guides for SMOs operating in this emerging development niche. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: If measured in the high-frequency (HF) domain, heart rate variability (HRV) reflects the tonic, inhibitory control by the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) to decelerate the heart rhythm. Several studies have examined changes in HF-HRV variability across the menstrual cycle; however, they did not implement the latest technological and statistical approaches. The evaluation of HF-HRV across the menstrual cycle is important because low HF-HRV variability is observed in numerous conditions, including heart disease and depression. Moreover, if a change in HF-HRV is observed around ovulation, it may be used to time conception. This study found that HF-HRV significantly decreases around ovulation relative to all other times of the menstrual cycle. This finding enhances our understanding of human biology. Future studies may examine whether the decrease in HF-HRV is a normal process that may be utilized in the future to enhance fertility rates, or whether it represents a biological process that may predispose some women to disease development. (1) Background: High-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) is an essential ultradian rhythm that reflects the activity of the PNS to decelerate the heart. It is unknown how HF-HRV varies across the menstrual cycle (MC), and whether progesterone mediates this potential variation. (2) Methods: We enrolled 33 women in the study to attend eight clinic visits across the MC, during which we measured their resting HF-HRV and collected samples for the analysis of luteinizing hormone (LH) and progesterone. We realigned the study data according to the serum LH surge to the early follicular, mid-follicular, periovulatory, early luteal, mid-luteal and late luteal subphases. (3) Results: Pairwise comparisons between all the subphases showed significant differences between the early follicular and periovulatory subphases (β = 0.9302; p ≤ 0.001) and between the periovulatory and early luteal subphases (β = −0.6955; p ≤ 0.05). Progesterone was positively associated with HF-HRV in the early follicular subphase but not the periovulatory subphase (p ≤ 0.05). (4) Conclusions: The present study shows a significant drop in HF-HRV in the anticipation of ovulation. Further research in this area is critical given the marked cardiovascular disease mortality in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article evaluates how the Minor Threat band inverted mainstream and punk fashion cycles to create a meaningful impact in the U.S. Topics include the influences and motivations that drove the punk band's aesthetic and its lasting impact on punk, the reason for the relevance of punk, several variables that shaped Minor Threat's style such as the endemic aspects of Washington, D.C. life and mainstream fashion trends, and the release of their music album "Salad Days."

Brassica napus, a globally important oilseed crop, is an allotetraploid hybrid species with two subgenomes originating from Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea. The presence of two highly similar subgenomes has made the assembly of a complete draft genome challenging and has also resulted in natural homoeologous exchanges between the genomes, resulting in variations in gene copy number, which further complicates assigning sequences to correct chromosomes. Despite these challenges, high-quality draft genomes of this species have been released. Using third generation sequencing and assembly technologies, we generated a new genome assembly for the synthetic B. napus cultivar Da-Ae. Through the use of long reads, linked-reads, and Hi-C proximity data, we assembled a new draft genome that provides a high-quality reference genome of a synthetic B. napus. In addition, we identified potential hotspots of homoeologous exchange between subgenomes within Da-Ae, based on their presence in other independently derived lines. The occurrence of these hotspots may provide insight into the genetic rearrangements required for B. napus to be viable following the hybridization of B. rapa and B. oleracea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Allopregnanolone is one of the most studied neuroactive steroids; yet, despite its relevance to neuropsychiatric research, it is not known how it, as well as its ratio to progesterone, varies across all six subphases of the menstrual cycle. Two enzymes—5α-dihydroprogesterone and 5α-reductase—convert progesterone to allopregnanolone, and, based on immunohistochemical studies in rodents, the activity of 5α-reductase is considered the rate-limiting step in the formation of allopregnanolone. It is not clear, however, whether the same phenomenon is observed across to the menstrual cycle, and, if so, at what point this takes place. Methods: Thirty-seven women completed the study during which they attended eight clinic visits across one menstrual cycle. We analyzed their allopregnanolone and progesterone serum concentrations using ultraperformance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, and we implemented a validated method to realign the data from the original eight clinic study visits, following which we imputed the missing data. Hence, we characterized allopregnanolone concentrations, and the ratio of allopregnanolone:progesterone at six menstrual cycle subphases: (1) early follicular, (2) mid-follicular, (3) periovulatory, (4) early luteal, (5) mid-luteal, and (6) late luteal. Results: There were significant differences in allopregnanolone levels between (1) early follicular and early luteal, (2) early follicular and mid-luteal, (3) mid-follicular and mid-luteal, (4) periovulatory and mid-luteal, and (5) mid-luteal and late luteal. We detected a sharp drop in allopregnanolone:progesterone ratio in the early luteal subphase. Within the luteal subphase, the ratio was the lowest in the mid-luteal subphase. Conclusions: Allopregnanolone concentrations are the most distinct, relative to the other subphases, in the mid-luteal subphase. The shape of the allopregnanolone trajectory across the cycle is similar to that of progesterone; however, the proportion of the two neuroactive steroid hormones is drastically different due to enzymatic saturation, which takes place at the start of the early luteal subphase, but continuing through, and peaking, in the mid-luteal subphase. Hence, the estimated activity of 5α-reductase decreases, but does not cease, at any point across the menstrual cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nomination is a scholarly activity, not unlike writing a manuscript or grant proposal.Nomination is elevated by recognizing both recipients and nominators.A nominagraph adds a dimension to the pairwise listing of recipients and nominators on ASA/CSSA/SSSA directories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human survival and wellbeing require appropriate responses to stress, including a highly coordinated and efficient nervous system control of the heart rhythm. During stress, a greater disinhibition of the vagal nerve is reflective of poor stress adaptability, which may be relevant in premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)—a debilitating affective condition thought to be marked by dysregulated stress processing and sensitivity to allopregnanolone. In the present study, women with PMDD (n = 17) and healthy controls (n = 18), who did not take medication, smoke, or consume illicit drugs, and who were free of other psychiatric conditions, participated in the Trier Social Stress Test, during which we measured the high frequency of the heart rate (HF-HRV) and allopregnanolone using ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Relative to their baseline, women who have PMDD, but not the healthy controls, experienced a reduction in HF-HRV during stress anticipation (p ≤ 0.05) and stress (p ≤ 0.01). Their recovery from stress was significantly delayed (p ≤ 0.05). Absolute peak HF-HRV change from baseline was significantly predicted by baseline allopregnanolone only in the PMDD group (p ≤ 0.01). The present study shows how an interaction between stress and allopregnanolone—which have both been separately implicated in PMDD—underlies PMDD expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pharmacokinetics (PKs) and exposure–efficacy of dupilumab have not been fully described for adults with atopic dermatitis (AD). Our objectives were to analyze the PKs and exposure–efficacy of dupilumab in adults with AD and compare the results of Japanese and overall populations. Adults with moderate‐to‐severe AD were randomly assigned to dupilumab (300 mg weekly [qw] or every 2 weeks [q2w], 200 mg q2w, 300 mg every 4 weeks [q4w], or 100 mg q4w) or placebo for 16 weeks in a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, dose‐ranging phase IIb trial (NCT01859988). This analysis included 379 patients (58 Japanese). Functional dupilumab concentrations increased in a dose‐dependent manner; at lower concentrations, increases were greater than dose‐proportional because of nonlinear, target‐mediated clearance. Dupilumab pharmacokinetics were comparable in Japanese and non‐Japanese patients with similar body weights. Week 16 efficacy parameters, including Investigator's Global Assessment score 0/1, greater than or equal to 75% reduction from baseline in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), and percentage change from baseline in EASI and pruritus Numerical Rating Scale, generally increased with week 16 trough concentration; the plateau of these exposure–efficacy relationships occurred for most patients at exposures associated with the 300 mg q2w and 300 mg qw regimens. Japanese ethnicity did not remain in the population PK model as covariate with or without accounting for body weight differences. In Japanese and non‐Japanese patients, efficacy responses increased with week 16 dupilumab trough concentrations in a similar manner. Dupilumab 300 mg qw and q2w regimens were recommended for further evaluation in larger phase III studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the journal is presented which discusses reports within the issue that commemorate the life and legacy of several scholars including political scientist Percy Allum and historians Stuart Woolf and Paul Ginsborg.

This paper characterizes a pandemic as a kind of contagion, and describes a contagion as a two-level, two-direction, reflexive feedback loop system. In such a system, expert opinions for managing a pandemic can act as self-fulfilling prophecies due to how they influence collective belief formation. However, when multiple experts produce multiple expert opinions that act as self-fulfilling prophecies, this can fragment a society’s response to a pandemic, worsening rather than ameliorating it. This paper models this possible outcome by distinguishing two competing expert opinions, appealing respectively to people in club good and common pool types of employment/health insurance situations, and argues that to combat fragmentation of opinion about how to address a pandemic, public health policy needs to attend to the nature of public reasoning. It argues this entails asking how just and legitimate deliberative institutions can function in an ‘inclusive and noncoercive’ way that allows society to reconcile competing visions regarding how to combat system-wide crises such as pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: The public needs to be better informed on the reasons for providing aid, especially that which supports the Sustainable Development Goals. How aid is framed by donors directly affects levels of public support. Purpose: The article investigates support for aid among English‐speaking Canadians, and how this varies by the framing of aid spending, socioeconomic markers, personal values and political engagement. Approach and methods: Statistical analysis is undertaken of data from a representative survey of English‐speaking Canadians on their knowledge and attitudes with respect to aid to developing countries. A particular focus of the analysis is the influence of the framing of aid spending on public support for aid spending, while controlling for the influence of socioeconomic factors. Findings: Support for increased spending rises when spending is framed relative to the size of the economy, whether in dollar or percentage terms, rather than when framed relative to government taxation or spending. Providing information on the current level of aid spending also raises support for increased aid spending. Overall, when informed about the level of aid spending, most respondents support maintaining or increasing aid. Views on aid vary little by age, education and other socioeconomic markers. People's values, however, did affect support for aid. Respondents who believe in "Canada first" were considerably more likely to support aid cuts than others. Those who see kindness as part of Canadian identity tend to favour aid, while those who see economic prosperity as part of national identity tend to want aid cuts. While voting intention does not affect views on aid, respondents who have been either politically active or involved in collective action on media/social media are a little more likely to favour increased aid. Policy implications: The findings confirm the importance of the framing of aid spending for designing and implementing programmes to inform, engage and elicit support from the public. Given how values influence public support for aid, engagement needs to be tailored to different target audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs is inferred from relatively small randomized clinical trials conducted with carefully selected and monitored participants. This evidence is not necessarily generalizable to individuals treated in daily clinical practice. The authors compared the clinical effectiveness between all oral and long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic medications used in the treatment of schizophrenia in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system.Methods: This was an observational study utilizing VA pharmacy data from 37,368 outpatient veterans with schizophrenia. Outcome measures were all-cause antipsychotic discontinuation and psychiatric hospitalizations. Oral olanzapine was used as the reference group.Results: In multivariable analysis, clozapine (hazard ratio=0.43), aripiprazole long-acting injectable (LAI) (hazard ratio=0.71), paliperidone LAI (hazard ratio=0.76), antipsychotic polypharmacy (hazard ratio=0.77), and risperidone LAI (hazard ratio=0.91) were associated with reduced hazard of discontinuation compared with oral olanzapine. Oral first-generation antipsychotics (hazard ratio=1.16), oral risperidone (hazard ratio=1.15), oral aripiprazole (hazard ratio=1.14), oral ziprasidone (hazard ratio=1.13), and oral quetiapine (hazard ratio=1.11) were significantly associated with an increased risk of discontinuation compared with oral olanzapine. No treatment showed reduced risk of psychiatric hospitalization compared with oral olanzapine; quetiapine was associated with a 36% worse outcome in terms of hospitalizations compared with olanzapine.Conclusions: In a national sample of veterans with schizophrenia, those treated with clozapine, two of the LAI second-generation antipsychotics, and antipsychotic polypharmacy continued the same antipsychotic therapy for a longer period of time compared with the reference drug. This may reflect greater overall acceptability of these medications in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac response to prolonged, intense exercise induces phenotypic and physiologic adaptive changes that improve myocardial ability to meet oxygen demands. These adaptations, termed "athletes' heart," have been extensively studied. The importance of this entity arises from the increasing numbers of athletes as well as the drive for physical fitness in the general population leading to adaptive cardiac changes that need to be differentiated from life‐threatening cardiovascular diseases. A number of pathologic entities may share phenotypic changes with the athletes' heart such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, Marfan's syndrome, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Cardiologists need to be cognizant of these overlapping findings to appropriately diagnose diseases and prevent catastrophic outcomes especially in young and healthy individuals who may not show any symptoms until they engage in intense exercise. It is equally important to recognize and distinguish normal, exercise‐adaptive cardiac changes to provide accurate screening and guidance to young elite athletes. Echocardiography is a valuable modality that allows comprehensive initial evaluation of cardiac structures, function, and response to exercise. Several different echocardiographic techniques including M‐Mode, 2D echo, Doppler, tissue Doppler, color tissue Doppler, and speckle tracking have been used in the evaluation of cardiac adaptation to exercise. The following discussion is a review of literature that has expanded our knowledge of the athlete's heart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurocognitive effects of antipsychotic medications in patients with chronic schizophrenia in the CATIE trial. It is an important drug in psychiatry because of its use in treatment resistant patients and there are many unanswered questions, such as what is its optimal dose [[2]], should it already be used after the failure of one antipsychotic, etc. [Extracted from the article]

Any new pulmonary edema warrants an urgent rule out of acute cardiac dysfunction. Because sepsis protocols emphasize rapid stabilization and treatment over etiologic evaluation, some cases of endocarditis may be missed as sepsis with acute respiratory distress syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence suggests the role of environmental chemicals, in particular endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), in progression of breast cancer and treatment resistance, which can impact survival outcomes. However, most research tends to focus on tumor etiology and the effect of single chemicals, offering little insight into the effects of realistic complex mixture exposures on tumor progression. Herein, we investigated the effect of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-enriched EDC mixture in a panel of normal and breast cancer cells and in a tumor organoid model. Cells or organoids in culture were treated with EDC mixture at doses estimated from US adult intake of the top four PAH compounds within the mixture from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database. We demonstrate that low-dose PAH mixture (6, 30 and 300 nM) increased aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) expression and CYP activity in estrogen receptor (ER) positive but not normal mammary or ER-negative breast cancer cells, and that upregulated AhR signaling corresponded with increased cell proliferation and expression of antiapoptotic and antioxidant proteins XIAP and SOD1. We employed a mathematical model to validate PAH-mediated increases in AhR and XIAP expression in the MCF-7 ER-positive cell line. Furthermore, the PAH mixture caused significant growth increases in ER-negative breast cancer cell derived 3D tumor organoids, providing further evidence for the role of a natural-derived PAH mixture in enhancing a tumor proliferative phenotype. Together, our integrated cell signaling, computational and phenotype analysis reveals the underlying mechanisms of EDC mixtures in breast cancer progression and survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When trying to identify new potential therapeutic protein targets, access to data and knowledge is increasingly important. In a field where new resources and data sources become available every day, it is crucial to be able to take a step back and look at the wider picture in order to identify potential drug targets. While this task is routinely performed by bespoke literature searches, it is often time-consuming and lacks uniformity when comparing multiple targets at one time. To address this challenge, we developed TargetDB, a tool that aggregates public information available on given target(s) (links to disease, safety, 3D structures, ligandability, novelty, etc.) and assembles it in an easy to read output ready for the researcher to analyze. In addition, we developed a target scoring system based on the desirable attributes of good therapeutic targets and machine learning classification system to categorize novel targets as having promising or challenging tractrability. In this manuscript, we present the methodology used to develop TargetDB as well as test cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent scandals in the media have questioned the legitimacy of and public trust in international NGOs (INGOs). Yet, little research has explored the complex relationships that influence public trust in INGOs. This article addresses this knowledge gap by analysing data from an experimental survey of English-speaking Canadian residents to explore how trust varies based on the different ways INGOs are framed and the individual determinants that influence public trust. The results reveal critical factors influencing the trust of Canadians in INGOs and inform strategies to regain public trust to safeguard their role on the world development stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International NGOs (INGOs) in the global North have rapidly grown in number over the past two decades, the majority of which are grassroots organisations (GINGOs). Despite an abundance of research on "professionalised" INGOs, little empirical data is available to characterise GINGOs. This study constructs a dataset of 607 Canadian GINGOs based on the Canada Revenue Agency T3010 forms and organisation websites to answer three broad questions of GINGOs: Who are they? What is their programmatic foci? Where do they operate? The results offer a rich portrayal of GINGOs and situates their current and potential contributions towards international development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population pharmacokinetic base and covariate models were developed to study functional dupilumab for regulatory submissions, using data from healthy volunteers and patients with moderate‐to‐severe atopic dermatitis (AD) receiving intravenous or subcutaneous doses. Sixteen studies were pooled (N = 2115; 202 healthy volunteers, 1913 AD patients). The best model was a 2‐compartment model with linear and Michaelis‐Menten elimination and 3 transit compartments describing absorption. A stepwise approach to model building, with some parameters estimated using mostly rich data and subsequently fixed, was used to avoid adverse effects of sparse data and a steep target‐mediated phase on pharmacokinetic parameters, which require rich sampling for proper estimation. Parameterization of models in terms of rates was a useful alternative to the parameterization in terms of clearances, allowing for a reduced number of covariates while providing accurate predictions. While antidrug antibodies, albumin, race, body mass index, and Eczema Area and Severity Index score were statistically significant covariates, only body weight had a notable effect on central volume, explaining interindividual variability. The model adequately described dupilumab pharmacokinetics in phase 3 trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recountings of the Washington, DC punk rock scene's history often start with the founding of Dischord Records in 1980 and focus on the subsequent ascent of Dischord co-owner Ian MacKaye's bands like Minor Threat and Fugazi. As seminal as Dischord remains in the narrative of DC punk – a community still thriving today – the years just prior to the label's founding generated the scene's true incunabula. Beginning with the self-released debut EP from the Slickee Boys in 1976, this first wave of DC bands – also including Razz, Nurses, White Boy and others – combined elements of art rock, surf, proto-punk, pub rock and power pop together to craft a protean version of punk that embraced eccentricity and humour, serving as the city's own defiant rebuke of the staid state of 1970s rock music. No record label was more central to the nascent punk scene in DC than Limp Records. Operated by Skip Groff, Limp provided the punk community with its first proper record label. Rather than a label that centred around the efforts of a single band – as most other new DC punk labels did – Limp issued singles for several groups, collaborating with the fledgling Dacoit and O'Rourke labels to co-release defining singles for the Slickee Boys and Razz. DC punk would not have taken shape the way it did without Groff's efforts, particularly considering his connections with bands like Bad Brains and the Slickee Boys and his musical and entrepreneurial influence on local teenage punks like MacKaye, Jeff Nelson and Henry Rollins. This article is a history of DC punk record labels from 1976 to 1980 and seeks to establish this overshadowed era of the scene as one of the most critical in the community's 43-year existence. Considering the outsize influence the DC scene ultimately had on punk culture – whether through the eponymous clean living philosophy inspired by the Minor Threat song 'Straight Edge', the unwaveringly independent business model of Dischord or the pacesetting music reliably turned out each decade by participants in the scene – the impact of Groff and his first wave DC punk peers must be acknowledged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Care is central to the human experience and part of the social provisioning process. Adam Smith recognised this, associating care with sympathy. Later contributions in the political economy tradition also provide scope for an analysis of care, but none as developed as Smith's. With the emergence of the current mainstream, care is marginalised. Kenneth Boulding's analysis provides an opportunity to interrogate care in the economy, but he fails to explicitly acknowledge care. It is left to feminist economics to highlight the centrality of care. An implication is that it challenges the conventional rubric of economic organisation predicated on self-interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To report biopsy-related and oncologic outcomes in a large prospective active surveillance cohort that was initiated in the premagnetic resonance imaging era and to additionally identify clinical factors associated with disease reclassification in order to inform future studies designed to improve enrollment and follow-up on active surveillance.Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled at a single institution from 2006 to 2014 and followed until 2016. Men with Gleason 6 or 7 disease were eligible, and those with >6 months follow-up were included in the analysis. Patients were risk stratified based on clinical/pathologic criteria, including based on a combination of baseline and confirmatory biopsy tumor characteristics. Reclassification-free survival, based on tumor volume increase or Gleason score increase, was analyzed using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models.Results: Of 825 enrolled patients, 682 met inclusion criteria. Median follow-up was 40 months (range 6.6-126.8). Disease was reclassified in 249 (36.5%), and 157 (23.0%) underwent treatment. A single positive core with a negative confirmatory biopsy was significantly associated with time to reclassification (median not met vs 43 months, log rank test P <.001). Composite tumor length, defined as the combined tumor length between baseline and confirmatory biopsies, was associated with shorter Gleason upgrade-free survival (hazard ratio 1.24, 95% confidence interval 1.11-1.40, P <.001) in multivariable analysis.Conclusion: Baseline stratification using clinical factors including tumor length may refine risk stratification and offer the foundation on which new systems that incorporate modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging may be based. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nevertheless, in upholding his dismissal, the court stated: It was not for the board of directors to prejudge, or even to examine, the charges brought against this teacher by his wife; but the mere fact that charges of this character were brought against him, and that the fact had become notorious, rendered it highly inexpedient that he should remain as a teacher of higher classes frequented by youths between the ages of fourteen and twenty. A year after McLellan's case was adjudicated, an Illinois court was faced with another instance of teacher immorality. SP 4 sp Testimony revealed that Vaughan had contracted with a local school board to teach for five months at $50 per month. In an action against Thompson, a married Kentucky educator who served as high school principal and teacher, it was charged that: ... he became infatuated with B a b lady teacher of the school and persisted in paying her undue attentions ... that he would caress her and often kiss her hand and told her how much he loved her, and objected to her engagements or associations with her gentlemen friends, under threat of discharging her as a teacher if she did so. SP 8 sp Subtlety was not among Thompson's more noteworthy characteristics. The court record reveals that Morrison, a teacher in the Lowell Joint School District, gave counsel and advice to a fellow teacher and his wife who were undergoing marital and financial difficulties. [Extracted from the article]

Many experts mistakenly believe that proving culpability beyond a reasonable doubt is only necessary in criminal-court trials. However, the United States Supreme Court has ruled otherwise (as have many courts in many jurisdictions). There is no other determination made in our culture that has more grave social consequences on a person than an accusation of sexual misconduct. These severe consequences, impairment of liberty and property, as well as a lifelong stigma as a sex offender, compel high standards of due process, according to Supreme Court rulings, in making such a determination against accused persons. This article comments on the Department of Education’s proposed rulemaking on campus adjudications of Title IX proceedings, especially those pertaining to sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faith-based development organizations (FBOs) have been argued to deliver more cost-efficient development projects than their secular counterparts through exclusive access to faith networks, which provide predictable decentralized funding, the recruitment of volunteers, low employee salaries, and less overhead and indirect costs. To date, however, comparative analyses of religious and secular organizations have relied on a case-by-case approach, limiting the generalizability of findings. This study addresses this methodological gap by analyzing Registered Charity Information Return filings and organizational websites of 844 Canadian development NGOs to determine the proportion of FBOs and their organizational distinctiveness. The results show that FBOs comprise 40% of the Canadian NGO sector in terms of the number of organizations and their expenditures in developing countries, and are significantly less reliant on federal funding (p <.1), pay employees lower salaries (p <.01), but do not exhibit a significant difference in their expenditures on overhead and indirect costs. Thus, Canadian FBOs participation in faith networks shapes their organizational modus operandi but does not result in a low overhead alternative to secular NGOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty years of feminism in Western culture has set men up to fail in our family court systems. Feminism has been, since its inception, a political device for dividing men and women. Family courts have become gynocentric tools for divorcing spouses to abuse men. Mainstream commentators increasingly understand that the family court systems in Western countries are now normalized, and weaponized, government tools for carrying out a war on men. Because of their poor treatment in family court, men often experience repeated social defeat and its devastating consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal therapeutic strategy remains an unmet need in localised high-risk prostate cancer (LHRPC). Androgen biosynthesis inhibition in the preoperative setting may improve outcomes. In this single-centre randomised trial, we looked at therapy outcomes of preoperative treatment with abiraterone acetate + prednisone (AAP) + luteinising hormone-releasing hormone agonist (LHRHa) or LHRHa alone followed by radical prostatectomy in 65 men. We did not see a significant difference of organ-confined carcinoma (p = 0.27). However, tumour volume measures were significantly lower for AAP + LHRHa treatment (p ≤ 0.001). Of note, lower tumour epithelium volume correlated with improved biochemical recurrence-free survival at ≥4-yr follow-up (p = 0.0014). Tumours pretreated with AAP + LHRHa had lower proliferation and androgen signalling expression than LHRHa. On multivariate analysis, glucocorticoid receptor (GR) overexpression correlated with persistent tumours in AAP + LHRHa (p = 0.018). The presence of nuclear androgen receptor splice variant (nARV7) correlated with persistent tumours in both arms. No new safety signals were observed. This is the first study investigating the role of preoperative AAP + LHRHa versus LHRHa alone in LHRPC. We report significant cytoreduction by tumour volume measures inversely correlating with biochemical relapse. Validation of these proposed tumour volume measures is planned. A potential role of GR in resistance to androgen biosynthesis inhibition warrants further study. This is the first study of abiraterone acetate plus leuprolide versus leuprolide alone in high-risk localised prostate cancer followed by prostatectomy. Patients in the combination arm had a significantly smaller tumour size. Neoadjuvant therapy with abiraterone acetate + prednisone (AAP) + luteinising hormone-releasing hormone agonist (LHRHa) induced significant cytoreduction associated with a lack of recurrence versus LHRHa, though staging did not differ significantly. This first randomised AAP study in localised high-risk prostate cancer explores response heterogeneity and associated molecular effects to guide further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2013, Special Collections in Performing Arts (SCPA) at the University of Maryland (UMD) has stewarded a collection of fanzines— periodicals independently created and published by enthusiasts, usually printed in small runs—that centers around the punk rock scene that has thrived in the Washington, DC, area since 1976. The DC Punk and Indie Fanzine Collection (DCPIFC) gathers nine linear feet of fanzines (also known as zines) and production materials, along with digital files, all of which were created out of devotion to the local punk scene. This collection supports the aspect of SCPA’s mission that strives to “collect, serve, and preserve performing arts materials that document performance practice.” Bringing together punk fanzines created in the DC area, as well as zines from other regions that include significant coverage of DC punk, the DCPIFC is the first of what has become several collections at SCPA related to the punk rock community in the Washington, DC, area. This article explains the origins and inspirations for the collection, as well as how it was assembled and organized. In addition, the history of the highly influential DC punk scene is reviewed briefly, touching on several of its flagship bands, as well as the role that fanzines played in promoting the music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers the first comprehensive study of a newly discovered type of medieval sundial made of ivory which might well be the precursor of the well-known diptych dial form made from ivory and wood. These sundials are unique for the combination with a wax writing tablet (tabula cerata) on the reverse side, such as has been deployed as a reusable and portable writing surface in Antiquity and throughout the Middle Ages. Three previously unpublished examples of this type of sundial have been located in Germany, Italy and England. This article gives a detailed analysis of the sundials and the underlying construction principles, including considerations from the history of science, chronology and cultural history in order to answer the questions of where, when and by whom these sundials were made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is twofold. The first is to suggest that techniques for mapping public disagreements over claims to knowledge, or controversies, can act as assistive devices for researchers in geography to move from research topics to research questions. A second purpose is to offer a recipe or "how-to" guide of specific approaches and free scholarly software that researchers without specialized coding skills can use to achieve their own controversy mapping goals. We use a case of creating a controversy map covering the issue of transboundary movements of electronic waste (e-waste) to illustrate how these approaches and software can be associated together so that other researchers may put them to use for their own controversy mapping purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a core-periphery distinction to characterize contemporary economics, economic methodology, and also today's world economy. First, it applies the distinction to the organization of contemporary economics through an examination of the problem of explaining economics' relations to and boundaries with other disciplines. Second, it argues that economics' core-periphery organization is replicated in a similar organization of the use and practice of contemporary economic methodology in economics. Third, it draws on the use of the core-periphery thinking in economics itself regarding the uneven development of the world economy to provide possible foundations for economics and economic 408 • Revista de Economia Política 39 (3), 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0101-35172019-3004 Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, vol. 39, n° 3 (156), pp. 408-426, July-September/2019 * Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. E-mail: john.davis@marquette.edu, orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8285-5085; Submitted: 25/October/2018; Approved: 7/January/2019. I am grateful to Luiz Carlos Bresser-Pereira, Sheila Dow, Zohreh Emami, Wade Hands, Bob McMaster, Jamie Morgan, and Robert Went for comments on a previous version of this paper. The paper was presented to the Portuguese Association for Political Economy October 23, 2014 and to the Amsterdam Research Group in History and Philosophy of Economics October 25, 2018. John Davis is also professor at the University of Amsterdam. Revista de Economia Política 39 (3), 2019 • pp. 408-426 409 methodology being organized in core-periphery terms. Fourth, the paper briefly discusses three potential countervailing forces operating on the development of contemporary economics that might work against its core-periphery organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is presently thought that the levels of sex hormones in women with PMDD are not implicated in the etiology of the condition. However, the periovulatory subphase has largely been overlooked in research to date. The present study implemented a refined study methodology, involving collection of blood samples at 8 key menstrual cycle timepoints, following which the data is realigned, as the original visits are inherently misaligned, and imputed, because the realignment causes some datapoints to be set to missing. Study participants did not take any medications, had a negative urine drug test, and did not have DSM-5 defined anxiety or depression. Their symptom ratings were collected daily across two menstrual cycles, following which they were classified as PMDD (n=9), or healthy (n=13). The participants' estradiol levels, collected at the 8 clinic visits, were measured using ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Relative to the original data, realignment of study visits resulted in better-defined estradiol and LH periovulatory peaks. No group differences were identified regarding: (1) demographic characteristics, (2) periovulatory luteinizing hormone (LH), and (3) estradiol at the early and mid-follicular, as well as early, mid-, and late luteal subphase. In contrast, the PMDD group showed a markedly reduced periovulatory estradiol peak (p=0.0049). The present talk will describe the study's findings in the context of periovulatory inflammation and estradiol's anti-inflammatory properties, as well as highlight a validated methodology for studying menstrual cycle trajectories, which involves realignment of study visits based on serum LH levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the introduction of antipsychotic agents in 1950s and their apparent efficacy was shortly followed by a tremendous reduction of institutionalized patients with schizophrenia. It mentions that the established efficacy in treating acute exacerbations of schizophrenia and preventing relapses, and there is also more recent evidence on their efficacy in patients with predominant negative symptoms.

There is a scarcity of research on inclusion of visually impaired children in Turkey. Specifically, a gap exists concerning the attitudes of elementary school teachers towards the inclusion of visually impaired children in mainstream schools. This article uses data from two questionnaires, leveraging the responses of 253 teachers from rural and urban areas. The results demonstrate that elementary school teachers commonly hold positive attitudes towards the inclusion of visually impaired children and that teachers' initial and in-service training about inclusion positively influenced their attitudes. Our findings are in contrast with earlier research which argues that teachers do not hold positive attitudes to inclusion, and highlights that a key barrier to inclusion stems from elementary school teachers feeling unprepared to teach visually impaired children. We conclude that greater post-qualification training is required to enable teachers to operationalise different approaches that facilitate the inclusion of visually impaired children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]