Graphical models for mean and covariance of multivariate longitudinal data.

Joint mean-covariance modeling of multivariate longitudinal data helps to understand the relative changes among multiple longitudinally measured and correlated outcomes. A key challenge in the analysis of multivariate longitudinal data is the complex covariance structure. This is due to the contemporaneous and cross-temporal associations between multiple longitudinal outcomes.

Pediatric oncology clinician communication about sexual health with adolescents and young adults: A report from the children's oncology group.

Background: Sexual health (SH) is an important concern for adolescents and young adults (AYAs). This study determined current SH communication practices, barriers, and additional resources needed among pediatric oncology clinicians who treat AYAs.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was developed by the Children's Oncology Group (COG) AYA Committee and sent to pediatric oncologists (n = 1,987; 85.

Kronecker delta method for testing independence between two vectors in high-dimension.

Conventional methods for testing independence between two Gaussian vectors require sample sizes greater than the number of variables in each vector. Therefore, adjustments are needed for the high-dimensional situation, where the sample size is smaller than the number of variables in at least one of the compared vectors. It is critical to emphasize that the methods available in the literature are unable to control the Type I error probability under the nominal level.

Biogeography of ammonia oxidizers in New England and Gulf of Mexico salt marshes and the potential importance of comammox.

Few studies have focused on broad scale biogeographic patterns of ammonia oxidizers in coastal systems, yet understanding the processes that govern them is paramount to understanding the mechanisms that drive biodiversity, and ultimately impact ecosystem processes. Here we present a meta-analysis of 16 years of data of ammonia oxidizer abundance, diversity, and activity in New England (NE) salt marshes and 5 years of data from marshes in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Potential nitrification rates were more than 80x higher in GoM compared to NE marshes.

Up in the Air? Future Research Strategies to Assess Aerosols in Dentistry.

Recent reports on the airborne transmission of respiratory diseases, including COVID-19, have highlighted a need for investigation of dental aerosols and their infectious potential.

A Cross-Cultural Study of Self-Defining Memories in Chinese and American College Students.

Self-defining memories (SDMs) are touchstones in individuals' narrative identity. This is the first SDM study to compare college students from the mainland People's Republic of China (PRC) to American college students. It examined SDMs, Big Five personality traits, and memory function in 60 students from each country ( = 120).

Stigma and policy preference toward individuals who transition from prescription opioids to heroin.

Background: There is a lack of understanding of what contributes to attitudes toward individuals with an opioid addiction and preferences for policies that support them.

Methods: This study aimed to investigate stigmatization of an opioid addiction and support for publicly funded drug treatment. A randomized, between-subjects case vignette study (N = 1998) was conducted with a nation-wide online survey.

Cognitive, Graphomotor, and Psychosocial Challenges in Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated With Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS).

Objectives: Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infection (PANDAS) is characterized by the sudden onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and other neurobehavioral symptoms following group A streptococcal infection. The cardinal neuropsychiatric symptoms are believed to reflect an aberrant autoimmune or inflammatory response that may selectively disrupt basal ganglia function. The investigators examined whether neuropsychological skills associated with frontostriatal networks (executive functions and motor skills) are affected in patients with PANDAS following resolution of acute symptoms and the degree to which there are persistent social, emotional, and academic difficulties.

Control of B Cell Lymphoma by Gammaherpesvirus-Induced Memory CD8 T Cells.

Persistent infection with gammaherpesviruses (γHV) can cause lymphomagenesis in immunocompromised patients. Murine γHV-68 (MHV-68) is an important tool for understanding immune factors contributing to γHV control; however, modeling control of γHV-associated lymphomagenesis has been challenging. Current model systems require very long incubation times or severe immune suppression, and tumor penetrance is low.

Morphological evolution of silica scales in the freshwater genus Synura (Stramenopiles).

A high degree of morphological variability is expressed between the ornately sculptured siliceous scales formed by species in the chrysophycean genus, Synura. In this study, we aimed to uncover the general principles and trends underlying the evolution of scale morphology in this genus. We assessed the relationships among thirty extant Synura species using a robust molecular analysis that included six genes, coupled with morphological characterization of the species-specific scales.

Tracking continuities in the flanker task: From continuous flow to movement trajectories.

Since its introduction nearly a half century ago, the Eriksen flanker task has prompted multiple theoretical and methodological advancements in the study of attention and control. Early research with the task inspired the continuous flow model of information processing, which in turn prompted researchers to investigate the dynamics of response competition using continuous behavioral measures. In recent years, the use of such measures in psychological research has increased dramatically as hand-tracking techniques have become more widely accessible.

Transcriptome dataset for RNA-seq analysis of axolotl embryonic oropharyngeal endoderm explants.

Animal nutrition and toxin deterrence rely on the ability to taste, which occurs through columnar taste cells clustered within taste buds. Taste buds in mammals are located within specialized tissues, called papillae. However, taste buds in fish and amphibians, such as axolotls (), are not housed in papillae, rather they are embedded within the pharyngeal epithelium.

"No, just an alien": disability, sexuality, and the extraterrestrial in Gloria Anzaldúa's "Interface".

In this article, we read the poem, "Interface," about a relationship between the speaker and an extraterrestrial being named Leyla. For Gloria Anzaldúa, the extraterrestrial foregrounds the spiritual, linguistic, gender, racial, and ethnic otherness that are key features of her works. Through an embrace of the alien, Leyla, Anzaldúa refuses to treat such categories as neatly separated or truly knowable.

A new brilliantly blue-emitting luciferin-luciferase system from Orfelia fultoni and Keroplatinae (Diptera).

Larvae of O. fultoni (Keroplatidae: Keroplatinae), which occur along river banks in the Appalachian Mountains in Eastern United States, produce the bluest bioluminescence among insects from translucent areas associated to black bodies, which are  located mainly in the anterior and posterior parts of the body. Although closely related to Arachnocampa spp (Keroplatidae: Arachnocampininae), O.

Historicity and explanation.

Some scientific explanations are distinctively historical. The aim of this paper is to say what gives such explanations their historical character. A secondary aim is to describe what makes an explanation a stronger or weaker historical explanation.

Does evaluating belief prior to its retraction influence the efficacy of later corrections?

News stories unfold over time, with initial reports sometimes containing mistaken accounts of the newsworthy outcome that are ultimately revised or corrected. Because facts associated with newsworthy events are accumulated in this piecemeal fashion, readers often have repeated opportunities to reflect upon, discuss, and evaluate their belief in these accounts before they learn that initial news reports have been revised or retracted. The primary goal of the present study was to assess whether rating the strength of one's belief in the initially reported, mistaken cause might influence the efficacy of a later correction.

Remarkably preserved cysts of the extinct synurophyte, Mallomonas ampla, uncovered from a 48 Ma freshwater Eocene lake.

Chrysophyte algae produce a siliceous stage in their life cycle, through either asexual or sexual reproduction, known as a cyst. Cysts form in response to shifts in environmental conditions, population density, or predation pressure, and upon germination provide a seed source for future populations. Cysts are morphologically distinct for each species, and since their remains become part of the sediment or fossil record cysts are valuable tools in ecological and paleolimnological investigations.

Comparing Morphological and Molecular Estimates of Species Diversity in the Freshwater Genus Synura (Stramenopiles): A Model for Understanding Diversity of Eukaryotic Microorganisms.

We performed a comparison of molecular and morphological diversity in a freshwater colonial genus Synura (Chrysophyceae, Stramenopiles), using the island of Newfoundland (Canada) as a case study. We examined the morphological species diversity in collections from 79 localities, and compared these findings to diversity based on molecular characters for 150 strains isolated from the same sites. Of 27 species or species-level lineages identified, only one third was recorded by both molecular and morphological techniques, showing both approaches are complementary in estimating species diversity within this genus.

Transcriptome analysis of axolotl oropharyngeal explants during taste bud differentiation stages.

The Mexican salamander, Ambystoma mexicanum (Axolotl), is an excellent vertebrate model system to understand development and regeneration. Studies in axolotl embryos have provided important insights into taste bud development. Taste bud specification and determination occur in the oropharyngeal endoderm of axolotl embryos during gastrulation and neurulation, respectively, whereas taste bud innervation and taste cell differentiation occur later in development.

Increased expression of schizophrenia-associated gene C4 leads to hypoconnectivity of prefrontal cortex and reduced social interaction.

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder with an unclear pathophysiology. Increased expression of the immune gene C4 has been linked to a greater risk of developing schizophrenia; however, it is not known whether C4 plays a causative role in this brain disorder. Using confocal imaging and whole-cell electrophysiology, we demonstrate that overexpression of C4 in mouse prefrontal cortex neurons leads to perturbations in dendritic spine development and hypoconnectivity, which mirror neuropathologies found in schizophrenia patients.

Bernice Resnick Sandler (1928-2019).

Presents an obituary for Bernice Resnick Sandler (1928-2019). Bunny, as her family and friends called her, deployed the research skills she learned in her graduate education in psychology in service to her work as a public policy expert and advocate for gender equity in higher education. She is known as the Godmother of Title IX.

Perceptual salience influences food choices independently of health and taste preferences.

Background: Making decisions about food is a critical part of everyday life and a principal concern for a number of public health issues. Yet, the mechanisms involved in how people decide what to eat are not yet fully understood. Here, we examined the role of visual attention in healthy eating intentions and choices.

Magnitude Matters: Art Image Size and Waiting Time Impact Perceived Quality of Care.

Objective: The study fills a gap in the literature by examining the size of the art displayed and waiting time in an exam office on patients' judgments of the quality of care they are likely to receive.

Background: A body of research shows that the content of art in healthcare settings has an impact on patients' well-being, yet no work has empirically systematically examined the size of the art displayed on perceived healthcare outcomes.

Method: A fully crossed 4 ×2 between-subjects experimental design examined the impact of exposure to images in an outpatient exam room that varied in the size of what was displayed (a landscape scene: small, medium, large, and control-blank wall) crossed by the time waiting for the physician (10 vs.

Vegetation-Dependent Response to Drought in Salt Marsh Ammonia-Oxidizer Communities.

We investigated the impacts of drought on ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) in a salt marsh and compared the response to the total bacterial community. We analyzed abundance and community composition of A genes by QPCR and TRFLP, respectively, in three vegetation zones in 2014 (pre-drought), 2016 (drought), and 2017 (post-drought), and analyzed bacterial 16S rRNA genes by QPCR, TRFLP, and MiSeq analyses. AOA and AOB abundance in the zone increased significantly in 2016, while abundance decreased in the tall zone, and showed little change in the short zone.