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ObjectiveExplore alterations in topological features of gray matter volume (GMV) and structural networks in non-cognitive impairment end-stage renal disease (Non-CI ESRD).Materials and methodsUtilizing graph theory, we collected structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) data from 38 Non-CI ESRD patients and 50 normal controls (NC). We compared, and extracted the GMV across subject groups, constructed corresponding structural covariance networks (SCNs), and investigated the alterations in SCNs feature parameters between groups.ResultsIn Non-CI ESRD patients, The GMV were reduced in several brain regions, predominantly on the left side (p

Purpose – We investigated the relationship between personality and managerial assessment center (AC) dimensions, emphasizing age’s moderating role within volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity (VUCA) simulations. Design/methodology/approach – We analyzed 327 managers and applied the AC method, examining areas like social skills, problem-solving, management and goal striving, openness to change, employee development using the VUCA framework. Findings – We assessed personality metatraits through a questionnaire based on the circumplex model (CPM; Strus, Cieciuch, & Rowinski, 2014), identifying four bipolar metatraits. Results highlighted passiveness and disharmony as negatively correlated with all managerial AC dimensions, with passiveness adversely affecting social skills and problem-solving. Originality/value – Age’s moderating role emerged as pivotal in the relationship between personality and managerial AC dimensions, especially in specific VUCA contexts. This underscores age’s influence on the interplay between personality and managerial efficacy, suggesting varying predictive capabilities across age groups. The research illuminates the complexities of these relationships, spotlighting age’s nuanced impact.

IntroductionIn the face of an increasingly challenging and rapidly evolving business environment, not all the employees exhibit the requisite resilience necessary to recover from adversity. From both the individual and organizational perspectives, enhancing employee resilience emerges as a critical issue not only in the practical and academic fields. In the Chinese culture, this research aims to investigate how and why collectivism-oriented human resource management (C-HRM) fosters employee resilience. Drawing on the group engagement model, we propose a serial mediating effect of perceived overall fairness and three dimensions of social identity between C-HRM and employee resilience.MethodsUsing a sample of frontline employees in the hospitality industry, we conducted a field survey among 342 employees (study 1) and a two-wave online survey among 294 hospitality employees (study 2).ResultsFindings from empirical analysis indicated that C-HRM significantly increases overall fairness perception of hospitality frontline employees and in turn, their identification and respect, which further fertilize employee resilience. In addition, the indirect effect of C-HRM on employee resilience through perceived overall fairness and pride was not statistically significant.DiscussionThese important findings are expected to help employees cope with the workplace pressures caused by ongoing challenges and change, and contribute to sustainable career development.

IntroductionThe WD40 gene family, prevalent in eukaryotes, assumes diverse roles in cellular processes. Spartina alterniflora, a halophyte with exceptional salt tolerance, flood tolerance, reproduction, and diffusion ability, offers great potential for industrial applications and crop breeding analysis. The exploration of growth and development-related genes in this species offers immense potential for enhancing crop yield and environmental adaptability, particularly in industrialized plantations. However, the understanding of their role in regulating plant growth and development remains limited.MethodsIn this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of WD40 genes in S. alterniflora at the whole-genome level, delving into their characteristics such as physicochemical properties, phylogenetic relationships, gene architecture, and expression patterns. Additionally, we cloned the TTG1 gene, a gene in plant growth and development across diverse species.ResultsWe identified a total of 582 WD40 proteins in the S. alterniflora genome, exhibiting an uneven distribution across chromosomes. Through phylogenetic analysis, we categorized the 582 SaWD40 proteins into 12 distinct clades. Examining the duplication patterns of SaWD40 genes, we observed a predominant role of segmental duplication in their expansion. A substantial proportion of SaWD40 gene duplication pairs underwent purifying selection through evolution. To explore the functional aspects, we selected SaTTG1, a homolog of Arabidopsis TTG1, for overexpression in Arabidopsis. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that the SaTTG1 protein localized in the nucleus and plasma membrane, exhibiting transcriptional activation in yeast cells. The overexpression of SaTTG1 in Arabidopsis resulted in early flowering and increased seed size.DiscussionThese outcomes significantly contribute to our understanding of WD40 gene functions in halophyte species. The findings not only serve as a valuable foundation for further investigations into WD40 genes in halophyte but also offer insights into the molecular mechanisms governing plant development, offering potential avenues in molecular breeding.

Abstract Plasmodium falciparum causes the most severe malaria in humans. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) serves as the first line of humoral defense against infection and potently activates the complement pathway to facilitate P. falciparum clearance. A number of P. falciparum proteins bind IgM, leading to immune evasion and severe disease. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Here, using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy, we delineate how P. falciparum proteins VAR2CSA, TM284VAR1, DBLMSP, and DBLMSP2 target IgM. Each protein binds IgM in a different manner, and together they present a variety of Duffy-binding-like domain-IgM interaction modes. We further show that these proteins interfere directly with IgM-mediated complement activation in vitro, with VAR2CSA exhibiting the most potent inhibitory effect. These results underscore the importance of IgM for human adaptation of P. falciparum and provide critical insights into its immune evasion mechanism.

Abstract Non‐Hermitian systems recently have attracted tremendous attention due to their plentiful unique and fascinating properties, among which is the localization of an otherwise extensive bulk eigen‐state at the boundary when the open boundary condition (OBC) is imposed, an interesting phenomenon now referred to as non‐Hermitian skin effect (NHSE). Here, a non‐Hermitian Zigzag lattice model with/without chiral symmetry is investigated with respect to different nearest‐neighbor and long‐range hopping amplitudes and study the transition signature of NHSE by extracting information from the complex eigen‐energy spectra of the system under the periodic boundary condition (PBC), which is verified by the directional inverse participation ratio under OBC. Such an approach provides great simplicity in judging transitions of NHSE especially in lattices without chiral symmetry, where the obtained transition signatures are further confirmed by calculating the topological winding number of the energy under PBC. This work reveals a fundamental way to explore transitions of NHSE, and has a potential in helping understand more other complicated topological physics unique to non‐Hermitian systems.

To explore the effects of different concentrations of melatonin on physiological and photosynthetic fluorescence characteristics of wheat seedlings. The growth morphology, photosynthetic, fluorescence parameters and antioxidant enzyme activity of wheat seedings treated with different concentrations of melatonin were determined by using Liangxing 99 as experimental material. The results were as follows: (1) 0.1 μmol·L-1 melatonin treatment significantly increased the photosynthetic capacity of wheat plants, Chlorophyll a (Chl a), Chlorophyll b (Chl b) and Chlorophyll (a+b)［Chl (a+b)］increased to the maximum value when melatonin concentration was 0.1 μmol·L-1. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters include parameters of quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation Y (NPQ), the electron transport rate (ETR) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) also reached the maximum at 0.1 μmol·L-1. The PS Ⅱ maximum photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) and maximum photochemical conversion potential (Fv/Fo) decreased with the increase of melatonin concentration. Photochemical quenching (qL) decreased first and then increased with the increase of melatonin. (2) Compared with CK (0 μmol·L-1), low concentration of melatonin treatment significantly decreased peroxidase (POD) activity in wheat and decreased catalase (CAT) activity in wheat leaves, high melatonin concentration significantly increased POD activity in wheat. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in wheat roots decreased firstly and then increased with the increase of melatonin concentration. In conclusion, it suggests that appropriate melatonin treatment can promote the growth of wheat and maintain the photosynthetic capacity of wheat at a high level, and can also regulate oxidative stress induced by different concentrations of melatonin in wheat seedlings through POD and CAT. This study laid a foundation for further understanding the regulatory mechanism of melatonin in wheat.

In topological physics, the bulk-boundary correspondence is of great interest in both Hermitian and non-Hermitian systems. This work unveils a similar universal modulation instability-rogue wave correspondence in integrable models, which may offer a way of better understanding the physics of nonlinear waves as well as of obtaining exact rogue wave solutions.

Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic, pruritic, inflammatory skin disease characterized by hyperkeratotic nodules on the trunk and extremities. While there is growing research on the immunological basis of PN, the neuropathic and structural components of PN lesions are unknown. This study examines the inflammatory, neuropathic, and structural pathways in PN compared to atopic dermatitis (AD) using RNA-sequencing of the lesional and non-lesional skin tissue of PN and AD patients, as well as immunohistochemistry analysis of nerve growth factor (NGF), a neurotrophic factor that regulates nerve development. Transcriptomic analysis of skin biopsies revealed that compared to lesional AD skin, lesional PN skin had significantly increased expression of NGF, matrix metalloproteinases, OSM, MCEMP1, IL1α, IL1β, CXCL2, CXCL5, CXCL8, and insulin-like growth factors in PN compared to AD, and decreased expression of CCL13, CCL26, EPHB1, and collagens (COL4/6). Gene set enrichment analysis demonstrated higher enrichment of keratinization, cornified envelope, myelin sheath, TGF-beta signaling, extracellular matrix disassembly, metalloendopeptidase activity, and neurotrophin-TRK receptor signaling pathways in PN. On immunohistochemistry, PN lesions demonstrated higher dermal NGF expression compared to AD. We present novel findings demonstrating increased neurotrophic and extracellular matrix remodeling signatures in PN compared to AD, possibly explaining the morphological differences in their lesions. These signatures may therefore be important components of the PN pathogenesis and may serve as therapeutic targets.

The correlations between water state and the key factors affecting sourdough quality, including cell activity and acidification capacity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), were established in this study. Results revealed that with the increase of frozen storage time, the cell density (CD), total titratable acidity (TTA), and organic acids content declined, whereas the pH value rose. Further, the freezable water content (FWC) and free water quantity (FWQ) decreased, but the total water loss rate (WLR) and immobilised water quantity (IWQ) increased. The CD showed a highly inversely correlation with WLR, and the pH value was strongly inversely correlated to the FWQ. The confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) observed that the ice crystals had larger volumes during frozen storage. Our data, for the first time, disclosed that the total water content and the FWQ may play a crucial role in maintaining the viability and acidification capacity of LAB in frozen sourdough.

In this paper, a new stochastic predator-prey model with impulsive perturbation and Crowley-Martin functional response is proposed. The dynamical properties of the model are systematically investigated. The existence and stochastically ultimate boundedness of a global positive solution are derived using the theory of impulsive stochastic differential equations. Some sufficient criteria are obtained to guarantee the extinction and a series of persistence in the mean of the system. Moreover, we provide conditions for the stochastic permanence and global attractivity of the model. Numerical simulations are performed to support our qualitative results.

This study examines the R&D investment behaviour of different types of family-controlled firms with the moderating role of ownership discrepancy between cash-flow rights and excess voting rights by using the sufficiency conditions’ theoretical framework of ability and willingness developed by De Massis. It uses data from family firms that have issued A-shares from 2008 to 2018. They used pooled OLS regression for data analysis and Tobit regression for robustness checks. This study classifies family firm types into two categories, namely, the lone-controller family firms (LCFFs) and the multi-controller family firms (MCFFs), with each being further classified as “excess” or “no excess” voting rights. Both LCFFs without excess voting rights and MCFFs with excess voting rights have the “ability” and “willingness” toward R&D investment. LCFFs with excess voting rights and MCFFs without excess voting rights only have the ability but low willingness to invest in R&D. The study also establishes that Chinese family-controlled firms are heterogeneous toward risky investment. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to differentiate Chinese family firms by their unique ownership structure characteristics in investigating the effect of the family firm structure on R&D investment. The study is a novel attempt to test the willingness and ability framework of LCFFs and MCFFs. Previous studies based on agency theory have tacitly assumed that ability and willingness exist in family-controlled firms. However, this study challenges this implicit assumption.

In isolated Hermitian systems, the bulk-boundary correspondence is generally thought of as a compelling principle guiding the occurrence of robust edge states through the topological invariants of the bulk. However, in open non-Hermitian systems that support non-Hermitian skin effects, the universality of the bulk-boundary correspondence has so far remained disputable in spite of being subjected to intensive studies. Here we provide analytical and numerical evidence of bulk-boundary correspondences for both skin and edge modes in 1D two-band non-Hermitian systems within the framework of a prototypical non-Hermitian Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. Two different topological winding numbers, one on a Brillouin zone and the other on a generalized Brillouin zone, are defined to fully characterize the topological phases of matter and to understand such deterministic correspondences. In addition to the exact solutions for bulk states, we also obtain explicit solution forms for edge modes along with analytical conditions for their existence and localization, all exhibiting remarkable agreement with numerical results. Our results solve the elusive non-Hermitian topology and may facilitate experimental investigations of bulk-boundary correspondence in a wide range of non-Hermitian systems.

Software defined network (SDN) is a promising technology which can reduce network management complexity through the decoupling of the control plane and data plane. Due to large number of switches in the data plane, distributed and multiple controllers are necessary in the control plane for managing the switches. The switch controller mapping strategy for identifying the mapping relationships between the switch and controller is crucial in order to optimize the network performance. Considering the dynamics of the network behavior, it is quite important and challenging to develop models to reflect the network topology dynamics and to propose method for solving the long-term network performance optimization. Inspired by the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), in this paper, we propose a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) based strategy for solving the switch controller mapping problem. A DRL based mapping strategy is proposed, in which Markov Decision Process (MDP) formulation is devised and Deep $Q$ -network (DQN) is proposed to achieve the maximization of long-term system performance by leveraging network latency, load balancing and system stability. Extensive simulations show that the DQN based algorithm can achieve the best system stability results while maintaining moderate switch controller latency and system equilibrium performance comparing with the optimization which only considers current system performance for switch controller mapping decision, and the optimization approaches which generate mapping decisions purely based on latency or load balancing separately.

LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP) is a noncanonical autophagy process reported in recent years and is one of the effective mechanisms of host defense against bacterial infection. During LAP, bacteria are recognized by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), enter the body, and then recruit LC3 onto a single-membrane phagosome to form a LAPosome. LC3 conjugation can promote the fusion of the LAPosomes with lysosomes, resulting in their maturation into phagolysosomes, which can effectively kill the identified pathogens. However, to survive in host cells, bacteria have also evolved strategies to evade killing by LAP. In this review, we summarized the mechanism of LAP in resistance to bacterial infection and the ways in which bacteria escape LAP. We aim to provide new clues for developing novel therapeutic strategies for bacterial infectious diseases.

Background. Acidosis in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is involved in tumor immune dysfunction and tumor progression. We attempted to develop an acidosis-related index (ARI) signature to improve the prognostic prediction of pancreatic carcinoma (PC). Methods. Differential gene expression analyses of two public datasets (GSE152345 and GSE62452) from the Gene Expression Omnibus database were performed to identify the acidosis-related genes. The Cancer Genome Atlas–pancreatic carcinoma (TCGA-PAAD) cohort in the TCGA database was set as the discovery dataset. Univariate Cox regression and the Kaplan–Meier method were applied to screen for prognostic genes. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression was used to establish the optimal model. The tumor immune infiltrating pattern was characterized by the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) method, and the prediction of immunotherapy responsiveness was conducted using the tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) algorithm. Results. We identified 133 acidosis-related genes, of which 37 were identified as prognostic genes by univariate Cox analysis in combination with the Kaplan–Meier method (p values of both methods < 0.05). An acidosis-related signature involving seven genes (ARNTL2, DKK1, CEP55, CTSV, MYEOV, DSG2, and GBP2) was developed in TCGA-PAAD and further validated in GSE62452. Patients in the acidosis-related high-risk group consistently showed poorer survival outcomes than those in the low-risk group. The 5-year AUCs (areas under the curve) for survival prediction were 0.738 for TCGA-PAAD and 0.889 for GSE62452, suggesting excellent performance. The low-risk group in TCGA-PAAD showed a higher abundance of CD8+ T cells and activated natural killer cells and was predicted to possess an elevated proportion of immunotherapeutic responders compared with the high-risk counterpart. Conclusions. We developed a reliable acidosis-related signature that showed excellent performance in prognostic prediction and correlated with tumor immune infiltration, providing a new direction for prognostic evaluation and immunotherapy management in PC.

We present exact explicit Peregrine soliton solutions based on a periodic-wave background caused by the interference in the vector cubic-quintic nonlinear Schrödinger equation involving the self-steepening effect. It is shown that such periodic Peregrine soliton solutions can be expressed as a linear superposition of two fundamental Peregrine solitons of different continuous-wave backgrounds. Because of the self-steepening effect, some interesting Peregrine soliton dynamics such as ultrastrong amplitude enhancement and rogue wave coexistence are still present when they are built on a periodic background. We numerically confirm the stability of these analytical solutions against non-integrable perturbations, i.e., when the coefficient relation that enables the integrability of the vector model is slightly lifted. We also demonstrate the interaction of two Peregrine solitons on the same periodic background under some specific parameter conditions. We expect that these results may shed more light on our understanding of the realistic rogue wave behaviors occurring in either the fiber-optic telecommunication links or the crossing seas.

Background/Aims: Let-7b was dramatically reduced after a dicer knockout of mice with intestinal barrier function injuries. This paper aims to investigate the molecular mechanism of let-7b by targeting p38 MAPK in preventing intestinal barrier dysfunction. Methods: A total of 186 patients were enrolled, with 93 in the control group and 93 in the PRO group. Only 158 patients completed the entire study, whereas the others either did not meet the inclusion criteria or refused to participate. To further verify the role of let-7b, intestinal epithelial conditional knockout (IKO) mice of mmu-let-7b model were established. Serum let-7b, zonulin, IL-6, and TNF-α concentrations were measured by ELISA or quantitative RT-PCR. Permeability assay was done by ussing chamber. The apoptotic cells were identified using an In Situ Cell Death Detection Kit. Protein was detected by western blot. Results: Probiotics can lower infection-related complications, as well as increase the serum and tissue let-7b levels. P38 MAPK was identified as the target of let-7b, as verified by NCM460 cells. P38 MAPK expression was increased, whereas tight-junction (TJ) proteins were significantly decreased in let-7b IKO mice (both P

We investigate the coexisting rogue wave dynamics associated with two fundamental-frequency optical waves interacting in a quadratic nonlinear medium. Using the vector Chen–Lee–Liu nonlinear Schrödinger equation model, we obtain exact rogue wave solutions at first and higher orders on the more general periodic backgrounds. We unveil that the inherent self-steepening effect may allow an omnipresent rogue wave coexistence over a broad range of parameters in both the normal and anomalous dispersion regimes, in addition to allowing ultrastrong peak amplitudes. We also demonstrate that such universality of coexistence can be anticipated by the appearance of two peaks in the modulation instability spectrum. We numerically confirm the robustness of the coexisting Peregrine solitons against initial noise as well as their excitation from a turbulent wave field caused by modulation instability. We expect that these findings will shed light on the generation of extreme wave events resulting from the interference of multiple continuous-wave fields.

This study investigates the Islamic and conventional Index integration over the period 3rd September, 2008 to 30th September, 2015. This study uses Johansen and Juselius cointegration method for exploring the long run association. The short run association is explored using VECM model. The volatility spillover dynamics is examined using the GARCH and EGARCH models. The robustness of the results is analyzed by using Granger causality method, Variance Decomposition method, and Impulse Response Function. The estimation results show significant long run and short run association between Islamic and Conventional index. Furthermore, this study finds asymmetric bidirectional volatility spillovers between Islamic and conventional index. The findings suggest that domestic investors have low diversification opportunities by adding both Islamic and conventional index in their portfolios. However, international investors can add one of the indices in their portfolios, in order to benefit from portfolio diversification. Keywords: Islamic index, Conventional index, EGARCH, GARCH, Pakistan

This study investigates the influence of corporate governance and the nature of the ultimate owner on the adjustment behavior of corporate cash holdings. This study uses a sample of Chinese listed firms over the period 2003–2016 and opts difference- and system-GMM (generalized method of moments) models to explore the target cash holdings of Chinese firms. The results demonstrate that Chinese firms have target cash holdings and that the cash holdings adjustment behavior varies across the state-owned enterprises and nonstate-owned enterprises. Finally, the results show that cash holdings adjustment rate varies across normal and crisis period. This study adds to the existing literature by showing how corporate governance attributes and the nature of ownership can impact the cash holdings. Finally, this study provides insights that the cash holdings adjustment varies in normal and a crisis period.

This study investigates the volatility spillover effect among Asian emerging markets in pre and post 2007 financial crisis period. The sample includes five emerging markets of Asia named; China, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, and India. The asymmetric volatility spillover among the stock markets is examined using an extended EGARCH model. The results highlight certain interesting key findings. We find bidirectional volatility spillover between stock markets of India and Sri Lanka in both sub-periods. However the volatility spillover is bidirectional between stock markets of Hong Kong and India; Pakistan and India in pre-crisis period, while in stock markets of Sri Lanka and Pakistan in post-crisis period. The integration of emerging markets of Asia has important implications for investors and policy makers.

In China each year, large amounts of wood-based panels are consumed and abandoned. These are huge resources for energy recovery and materials reuse. In order to study the influence of urea formaldehyde resin (UF) resin on waste wood-based panels during pyrolysis, thermobalance experiments together with the evolution of main gaseous products of wood, wood-based panels, and UF resins were carried out and analyzed by TG-FTIR. Elementary and GC-MS analyses were also done to study the characteristics of solid and liquid products. Results from TG and DTG analyses indicated that UF resin used in wood-based panels accelerated the degradation rate of wood-based panels at lower temperature; however the resin inhibited the degradation of wood-based panels over the later stage at higher temperatures. Compared with solid wood, the higher intensity and earlier releasing time of HNCO and NH3 in wood board revealed that the release of nitric gases is mainly due to the presence of UF resin, especially between 180 °C and 320 °C. Mass loss of hydrogen is significantly inhibited by UF resin, and nitrogen is quite stable in the char. The influence of UF resin on pyrolysis liquids of wood-based panels is mainly on nitrogen compounds and ketones rather than aldehydes and esters, which is probably due to the chemical reactions of UF resin with lignin constituent in wood.

This quantitative study aimed to understand processes germane to Indigenous graduate students' transcultural socialization in Science, Engineering, Technology, and Math fields (STEM). We theorized that transculturation and "wayfinding" are complementary socialization processes to promote healthy socialization of Indigenous graduate students in STEM. We hypothesized that socialization components including peer interactions, mentor's cultural support, and university environment fit would facilitate academic confidence and cultural congruity. We conducted an exploratory study using a sample of 44 Indigenous STEM graduate students from 12 American public research universities. Our results found elevated levels of cultural congruity among those students who reported more favorable peer interactions, but the simultaneous experiences of mentor's cultural support and university environment fit did not reveal such an influence. Students reported greater levels of academic confidence in the presence of mentor's cultural support and university environment fit but not for peer influence. We situated these findings within prior research and recommendations for programs and practices where universities, peers, and mentors can provide cultural support, inspire academic confidence, and further enhance well-being through honoring the cultural strengths of Indigenous students.

The article focuses on pedagogical strategies for multicultural education courses, with a focus on creating brave space for a community of learners. The study explains how to design and implement effective practices to create the brave space that is vital to a multicultural education course. Brave space is crucial because of the sensitivity of the topics covered, such as identity, intersectionality, cultural humility, social justice, and Indian Education for All.

This study utilized quantitative research methods using the Montana Office of Public Instruction's Growth and Enhancement of Montana Students (GEMS) data set. This quantitative research is important because it provides insight on the following relationships (1) Is there a statistically significant difference among students from different races on their mean 11th grade ACT English scores?; (2) Is there an interaction between gender and race on students' mean 11th grade ACT English scores?; and (3) Is there a statistically significant difference among American Indian students mean ACT composite score from their Junior to their Senior year?

This study investigated predictors for ACT Science scores, a test used by many universities to rank applicants. This study utilized quantitative research methods using the Montana Office of Public Instruction's GEMS (Growth and Enhancement of Montana Students) data set. All advanced statistical analysis was conducted using Stata software IC/15. This research is significant for increasing the representation of under-represented groups in STEM education because it helps clarify three important relationships: (1) How well do gender, race, and meal status predict 11th grade ACT Science scores; (2) How well does school size predict 11th grade ACT Science scores while controlling for gender, race, and meal status; and (3) How well does high school GPA predict 11th grade ACT Science scores while controlling for gender, race, meal status, and school size.