Brigham Young University

Background Gatekeeping is a common method of addressing rising suicide rates throughout the world. Unfortunately, research suggests that suicide stigma is high among Latino populations, potentially blocking the use and benefits of gatekeeping. Objective The purpose of this study was to assess how stigma of suicide among Mexican parents and children influences gatekeeping behaviors. We hypothesized that: (1) Parents’ suicide stigma would be associated with their gatekeeping behaviors, and (2) parents and their children would have a reciprocal influence on their attitudes and behaviors toward suicide. Methods Parent/child dyads in each Mexican state were recruited via email (373 parent–child dyads; N = 746). Dyadic analyses were conducted using distinguishable dyad actor-partner interdependence modeling (APIM) where parent and youth reports of suicide stigma predicted parent and youth gatekeeping behaviors. Results Results suggest that there is a reciprocal influence between children and their parents in terms of suicide perceptions, norms, and stigma. Specifically, parents' and children’s suicide stigma influence each other’s likelihood of intervening and self-efficacy. Conclusions Our findings underscore the potential importance of the family context in promoting gatekeeping behaviors. Considering the bidirectional nature of parent–child relationships, intervention strategies aimed at reducing stigma of mental health treatment and suicide might benefit from working within family contexts.

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) radio transmitters are increasingly used across taxa to monitor animal populations. However, GPS transmitters can be susceptible to malfunctions that may result in location errors or data loss causing potential inferential bias that can have important implications for monitored species. Research using GPS transmitters on greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage‐grouse) has increased, but few sage‐grouse studies have evaluated GPS performance. Because sage‐grouse management has been subject to intense legal and political scrutiny with consequential economic implications, reliable data acquisition is central to informed decision‐making for the species. We evaluated differences in the performance of 2 commonly used solar‐powered GPS transmitters (Microwave Telemetry, Inc. [MTI], Columbia, MD, USA and GeoTrak, Inc., Apex, NC, USA) deployed on sage‐grouse throughout Wyoming from 2011 to 2017 and Utah from 2013 to 2019. Our investigation of GPS performance included daily fix inefficiency, the number of 1‐day fix gaps, and transmitter loss rate. We also evaluated transmitter functionality during the nesting period including daily nesting fix inefficiency, fix error distance mean and standard deviation (i.e., accuracy and precision), and mean fix error direction. New and refurbished MTI transmitters outperformed GeoTrak transmitters in daily fix inefficiency and day gaps during most seasons. Cumulatively redeployed MTI transmitters did not perform differently than GeoTrak transmitters. Transmitter loss, daily nesting fix inefficiency, and nest fix precision did not vary significantly between the 2 transmitters. GeoTrak performed better than MTI for nest fix accuracy across all latitudes (40–45° N). The mean error direction to the nest location ranged between 105° and 135° for GeoTrak and between 135° and 155° for MTI. We recommend refurbishing transmitters following deployment to retain higher fix efficiency than cumulatively redeploying transmitters.

The amination of aryl halides with palladium catalysts (Buchwald‐Hartwig amination) is a widely used transformation in synthetic and drug discovery chemistry. In this report, we demonstrate that a monometallic 2‐phosphinoimidazole Pd catalyst exhibits comparable or enhanced reactivity when compared to all ligands screened for room temperature amination of aryl chlorides with secondary amines. The di‐tert‐butylphosphine derivative showed extremely high reactivity while the di‐isopropyl variant led to almost complete loss of catalytic activity. Computational and experimental mechanistic and kinetic studies indicate that a monometallic Pd structure rather than a bimetallic Pd structure is key to fast catalysis. The di‐tert‐butylphosphine ligand has fast catalysis because it thermodynamically disfavors the formation of a much less active bimetallic Pd complex. A wide substrate scope is demonstrated for the arylation of secondary amines with aryl chlorides using our new catalyst system.

Populism’s effects on democracy after populists gain control of government (hereafter, populist incumbents) are some of the best theorized and documented consequences. The argument that populist incumbents threaten institutions of democratic contestation—and, less frequently, that they correct some aspects of political participation and representation—has been made from multiple approaches.1 Scholars and commentators often cite specific cases of populists harming democracy and, since 2016, several large-N studies have confirmed their negative impact. Specifically, studies repeatedly show the harmful effects of populist incumbents on civil liberties, including media freedom, horizontal accountability, and electoral integrity in both electoral and liberal democracies. Research has been less consistent in showing the positive consequences of populist incumbents, especially for democratic representation and political participation.

While thermodynamic reference electrodes with known and stable potentials are common in traditional aqueous systems, the high temperature and corrosive environment of a molten fluoride salt makes achieving long term stability with a thermodynamic reference electrode challenging, especially at temperatures of 600°C or higher. In this work, a thermodynamic reference electrode consisting of U(IV)/U(III) in a boron nitride compartment was evaluated for use in FLiBe at temperatures ≥ 600°C. FLiBe used in the study was purified by AlphaTech’s proprietary process and characterized by ICP-MS and square wave voltammetry. The free oxide concentration was <2 ppm. Using the purified FLiBe, the U(IV)/U(III) thermodynamic reference electrode was shown to provide a stable, well-defined, and reproducible potential for more than 600+ hours of use in different tests. Moreover, the thermodynamic reference electrode showed a consistent potential with no signs of failure, even after being cooled between tests and then reheated for reuse. Thus, the U(IV)/U(III) reference electrode is suitable for use in rigorous electrochemical studies in molten fluoride salts. It may be useful as a common standard, facilitating the advancement of nuclear applications such as isotope separation or online monitoring of reactor systems through improved certainty in the measurement of thermodynamic potentials.

Background Rich data on diverse patients and their treatments and outcomes within Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems can be used to generate real world evidence. A health recommender system (HRS) framework can be applied to a decision support system application to generate data summaries for similar patients during the clinical encounter to assist physicians and patients in making evidence-based shared treatment decisions. Objective A human-centered design (HCD) process was used to develop a HRS for treatment decision support in orthopaedic medicine, the Informatics Consult for Individualized Treatment (I-C-IT). We also evaluate the usability and utility of the system from the physician’s perspective, focusing on elements of utility and shared decision-making in orthopaedic medicine. Methods The HCD process for I-C-IT included 6 steps across three phases of analysis, design, and evaluation. A team of health informatics and comparative effectiveness researchers directly engaged with orthopaedic surgeon subject matter experts in a collaborative I-C-IT prototype design process. Ten orthopaedic surgeons participated in a mixed methods evaluation of the I-C-IT prototype that was produced. Results The HCD process resulted in a prototype system, I-C-IT, with 14 data visualization elements and a set of design principles crucial for HRS for decision support. The overall standard system usability scale (SUS) score for the I-C-IT Webapp prototype was 88.75 indicating high usability. In addition, utility questions addressing shared decision-making found that 90% of orthopaedic surgeon respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that I-C-IT would help them make data informed decisions with their patients. Conclusion The HCD process produced an HRS prototype that is capable of supporting orthopaedic surgeons and patients in their information needs during clinical encounters. Future research should focus on refining I-C-IT by incorporating patient feedback in future iterative cycles of system design and evaluation.

Background Regional brain atrophy estimated from structural MRI is the most widely used measure of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD), and other dementias. Yet, traditional MRI‐derived morphometric estimates are susceptible to measurement errors, posing a challenge for reliably detecting longitudinal atrophy, particularly over short intervals. We examined the utility of multiple accelerated MRI scans acquired in rapid succession (i.e., “cluster scanning”) for detecting longitudinal cortical atrophy over 3‐ and 6‐month intervals within individual patients. Method Four individuals with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia likely due to AD or FTLD participated (see Table 1 for demographic and clinical characteristics). At baseline, 3 months, and 6 months, structural MRI data were collected on a 3 Tesla scanner using a fast multi‐echo (ME) MPRAGE sequence (acquisition time = 2’23’’, TR = 2200ms, TEs = 1.57/3.39/5.21/7.03ms, field of view = 192×192mm², 144 slices, 4x GRAPPA acceleration, 1.2mm isotropic voxels). At each timepoint, participants underwent 32 MEMPRAGE scans acquired in four sessions over two days. Each MRI acquisition was processed with FreeSurfer version 6.0.0 using the recon‐all pipeline to derive a sample of estimates of cortical thickness at each timepoint. An independent, standard MEMPRAGE scan acquired prior to this study was used to define vertex‐wise regions of interest (ROI) masks for each participant compared to a group of cognitively unimpaired participants, representing phenotypically vulnerable regions expected to show longitudinal atrophy (“core” atrophy ROIs) and regions with no atrophy (“control” ROIs). Result Figures 1 summarizes the results obtained from a linear mixed effects model constructed separately for each participant. We found a Timepoint x ROI interaction in three of the four participants (all p≤0.0049), driven primarily by core regions exhibiting longitudinal atrophy of a greater magnitude from baseline to 3 months (n = 3) and to 6 months (n = 2) compared with control regions. In all four participants, core regions showed longitudinal atrophy from baseline to 3 months and to 6 months (all p<0.0001). Conclusion These findings provide proof‐of‐concept evidence that pooling multiple morphometric estimates derived from fast MRI acquired in clusters enables the detection of cortical atrophy over short intervals in individual patients with neurodegenerative dementias.

Platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) offer significant promise in cancer therapy by enhancing the therapeutic effects of platinum-based chemotherapies like cisplatin. These nanoparticles improve tumor targeting, reduce off-target effects, and help overcome drug resistance. PtNPs exert their anti-cancer effects primarily through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which induce oxidative stress and apoptosis in cancer cells. Additionally, PtNPs interact with cellular signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT and MAPK, sensitizing cancer cells to chemotherapy. Advances in PtNP synthesis focus on optimizing size, shape, and surface modifications to enhance biocompatibility and targeting. Functionalization with biomolecules allows selective tumor delivery, while smart release systems enable controlled drug release. In vivo studies have shown that PtNPs significantly inhibit tumor growth and metastasis. Ongoing clinical trials are evaluating their safety and efficacy. This review explores PtNPs' mechanisms of action, nanotechnology advancements, and challenges in biocompatibility, with a focus on their potential integration into cancer treatments. Graphical abstract

The first, modern X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra were collected with magnesium and aluminum Kα X‐rays, where Mg Kα X‐rays have slightly lower widths (FWHMs) and are therefore more desirable when the achromatic X‐rays are used, although they access a slightly smaller binding energy range and lower escape depth. Although most modern instruments have monochromatized, that is, chromatic with the most intense energy selected, sources and usually do not have attached achromatic (whole X‐ray emission range) sources, there are still instruments with achromatic sources producing useful data as well as a large body of earlier literature and databases providing achromatic source data hence the rationale for this Insight Note. Many newer users of XPS are primarily familiar with chromatic X‐ray sources, including higher energy chromatic sources such as Ag/Cr. The purpose of this short paper is to provide information about the value and complexities that are associated with use of Mg Kα and other achromatic X‐ray sources. In its common, achromatic form, the Mg source produces satellite peaks that should be accounted for in precise work. Dual anode X‐ray sources are made by depositing Mg and Al on copper. In operation, the Al window of this dual anode source is placed close to the sample. Unless it is cooled, a disadvantage of this source is that it can heat the sample. It can also deposit adventitious carbon on a sample. When the Mg source degrades, extraneous signals due to copper may appear in the XPS spectrum.

Interactive technology has a complicated relationship with recreation in nature. Many people have praised, and many have lamented the impact of interactive technology on recreation in nature. Because nature recreation has important wellness benefits and interactive technology is likely to remain a part of nature recreation, there is a need to design interactive technology for nature recreation. Unfortunately, little generalized knowledge exists on how to design such technology. We create new intermediate design knowledge for interactive technology in nature recreation by drawing from others’ work, our prior work, and specifically Borgmann and Verbeek’s philosophies of technology. Our contribution is a framework based on a decomposition of engagement into nine facets related to engagement with place, time, and community. Four examples demonstrate the descriptive and generative power of the framework. This framework may enable the creation of interactive systems that complement rather than compete with nature recreation and may better preserve the wellness benefits of nature recreation.

Adopting feminist and intersectional perspectives, this study focused on gendered experiences in financial communication, power dynamics, and social sabotage across lower- versus higher-income couples. Three-wave, dyadic data were collected from 1,093 married couples between 2020 and 2022, covering the period before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing a random-intercept, actor-partner interdependence cross-lagged panel model (i.e., RI-APIM-CLPM), this study was among the initial ones to investigate bidirectional, longitudinal associations among financial communication, power dynamics, and social sabotage. Across high- and low-income couples, bidirectional associations emerged between financial communication and social sabotage. Yet it was unexpected that financial communication problems and the experiences of being socially sabotaged seem to have depleted (vs. reinforced) each other for wives in the higher-income group. Unidirectional associations emerged such that financial communication predicted power (im)balance in high-income couples. Unidirectional associations emerged among low-income couples such that power (im)balance predicted financial communication problems and social sabotage. Our findings collectively suggested a spiral of financial communication problems, power inequity, and social sabotage. Our findings also demonstrated that wives in higher- and lower-income couples faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, though these challenges manifested in distinct forms. Thus, we remind practitioners and researchers of the necessity of considering the unique needs of men and women across different income statuses when addressing issues of financial communication problems, inequitable power, and social sabotage.

Bullying is a persistent social and behavioral problem in the United States. Bullying victimization and perpetration are linked to a host of negative physical, social, and emotional outcomes. Research suggests that a key risk factor for bullying behaviors is adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). On the other hand, positive childhood experiences (PCEs) may counter some of the negative effects of ACEs. This study (a) assesses the independent effects of ACEs and PCEs on adolescent bullying victimization and perpetration, and (b) examines whether ACEs and PCEs interact to affect bullying victimization and perpetration.We use data from the 2020 to 2021 National Survey of Children’s Health, a nationally representative survey of children ages 0 to 17 in the United States. The analytic sample was limited to children who were 6 years old or older at the time of the survey (N = 60,809). Using caregiver reports of bullying victimization and perpetration, we created a cumulative ACEs scale comprised of 10 items and a cumulative PCEs scale comprised of eight measures. We then estimated a set of logistic regression models to predict bullying behaviors. The results showed that ACEs are associated with a higher likelihood of both bullying victimization and perpetration. Although PCEs have a slight mitigating effect, ACEs and PCEs interact such that even in the presence of PCEs, children with many ACEs still have a higher likelihood of both bullying victimization and perpetration. This highlights the considerable impact of ACEs on bullying behaviors. These findings suggest that enhancing ACE-aware care and ACE prevention is important because even promoting PCEs is unlikely to decrease bullying levels on their own.

The present study utilized a sample of 374 distressed couples seeking therapy to investigate: (1) how partners' adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and shared religious/spiritual (R/S) practices are associated with their relationship satisfaction at intake and (2) the rate and shape of change in relationship satisfaction over the first six sessions. The results from multilevel modeling (MLM) demonstrated that males' ACEs were negatively associated with both their own and their partners' relationship satisfaction at intake, whereas females' ACEs were negatively associated only with their own satisfaction, not their partners'. Regarding shared R/S practices, only females' reports were positively associated with both their own and their partners' satisfaction at intake; no effects were observed for males' reports. Lastly, changes in relationship satisfaction from sessions one through six were found to be curvilinear, with more rapid change occurring initially, followed by a slowdown as therapy progressed.

This study investigated the prevalence of suicidal risk and associated trajectories of relational satisfaction in couples presenting for therapy using a national clinical data set, the Marriage and Family Therapy Practice Research Network (MFT‐PRN). The sample assessed 296 different‐sex couples attending couple therapy at sessions one, four, and eight. Nearly a quarter of couples indicated suicidal risk at session one. Dyadic latent growth models revealed that higher suicidal risk had a small but significant association with lower initial relationship satisfaction for men; thus, while the suicidal risk is associated with men's lower relationship satisfaction at intake, it may not continue to have impacts later in treatment. Alternative analyses of 27 same‐sex couples revealed a quarter of couples with suicidal risk at session one and that suicidal risk was not associated with relationship satisfaction. Although suicide risk was not associated with changes in relational satisfaction over time, suicidal risk should be assessed for couples presenting to therapy.

We study the regularity of the interface between the disjoint supports of a pair of nonnegative subharmonic functions. The portion of the interface where the Alt–Caffarelli–Friedman (ACF) monotonicity formula is asymptotically positive forms an $\mathcal {H}^{n-1}$-rectifiable set. Moreover, for $\mathcal {H}^{n-1}$-a.e. such point, the two functions have unique blowups, i.e. their Lipschitz rescalings converge in $W^{1,2}$ to a pair of nondegenerate truncated linear functions whose supports meet at the approximate tangent plane. The main tools used include the Naber–Valtorta framework and our recent result establishing a sharp quantitative remainder term in the ACF monotonicity formula. We also give applications of our results to free boundary problems.

Objective Studies have found that cancer patients with dependent children exhibit high symptoms of anxiety, depression, and worry. Patients' parenting concerns can negatively impact their own and their family's adjustment to the cancer experience. However, relatively little is known about parenting concerns of partners of cancer patients, or associations between parenting concerns and couples' relationship adjustment. This longitudinal study investigated parenting concerns among both patients and partners, and their associations with psychological and relationship adjustment. Methods One hundred thirty‐four patients with cancer and their partners (67 couples) completed the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire at baseline and measures of psychological distress, communication, and relationship adjustment at four time points (baseline, 4‐, 8‐, and 12‐month follow up). Results Baseline parenting concerns did not differ by role, gender, cancer site or cancer stage ( p > 0.05). Patients and partners who reported higher levels of parenting concerns at baseline reported significantly greater psychological distress and poorer communication concurrently and at each subsequent assessment. There were no significant associations between parenting concerns and relationship satisfaction either concurrently or over time. Conclusions These findings reinforce the need for a dyadic perspective to assessing both patients' and partners' parenting concerns and a focus on processes such as communication as an avenue for managing and processing parenting concerns.