Calvin University

The study of the relationship between scientific output and academic mobility is crucial for the formulation of public policies in developing countries. In this article, we present an application of the generalized synthetic control method for mobile Brazilian researchers in the health and life sciences field to estimate the effects of mobility on the recognition and prestige of publications, as well as on international collaboration networks. To improve the necessary assumptions prior to implementing the synthetic control and to enhance estimation accuracy, we introduce a matching technique as a pre-selection step for the synthetic control design, pairing control individuals equivalent to treated individuals based on pre-intervention observable variables. Finally, we apply the generalized synthetic control to estimate the causal effects of international mobility on the scientific output of mobile Brazilian researchers, comparing the impact on the number of citations received, SJR, and international collaborations after the first year of mobility with their respective synthetic authors. The results suggest that international mobility leads to changes in the analyzed variables, particularly for emigrant mobile researchers. This work provides guidance on the use of synthetic control in bibliometric data. Additionally, the study offers insights for the development of science internationalization policies. The method we employed can also be applied to study the effects of international mobility in other fields of knowledge.

We measured the BASAL breathing frequency following an overnight fast in adult, non‐pregnant/non‐lactating, inactive mammals ranging in body mass from 15 to 5520 kg. The data included results from 338 individual animals from 34 species that were divided into terrestrial, semi‐aquatic (Otariidae and Phocidae) and aquatic mammals. Following attempts to limit the collection of breathing frequency using a basal definition and to correct the analysis phylogenetically, our results suggest that there are differences in the allometric mass‐exponent between terrestrial and aquatic/semi‐aquatic mammals. An allometric regression model, whereby both body mass and breathing frequency were transformed using log10, suggested that the allometric mass exponent for terrestrial mammals (−0.303) was different from both aquatic mammals (−0.124) and semi‐aquatic mammals (−0.091). For semi‐aquatic mammals, the breathing frequency was lower in water, but we detected no association between the breathing frequency and the temperature of the medium (water or air). We propose that allometric studies of cardiorespiratory function should, if possible, adhere to the basal definition during data collection, similar to that used for metabolic rate. Such data will provide valuable information for comparative medicine of large species that are difficult to study, for which controlled baseline data might be difficult to obtain.

Background Globally, over 15 million preterm births (PTB) occur annually, with sub-Saharan Africa bearing a disproportionate burden. In Kenya, studies conducted between 2017 and 2021 at the hospital level show a PTB prevalence ranging from 15.9% to 20.2%. However, current PTB prevalence and associated factors remain underexplored despite their significant public health implications. Understanding the prevalence and factors associated with PTB is critical for effective interventions. Objectives This study aimed to determine the prevalence of PTB and also to identify individual- and community-level factors influencing PTB among women of reproductive age in Kenya. Design The study utilised a cross-sectional design, analysing data from the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey. Methods A sample of 7291 women aged 15–49 was analysed using weighted multilevel logistic regression in Stata 17.0. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and a significance threshold of p < 0.05 were used to identify predictors of PTB. Results The prevalence of PTB was 7.14%. Women aged 25–34 (aOR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.49–0.94) and 35+ (aOR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.59–1.24) were less likely to experience PTB compared to younger women (15–24 years). Attending four or more antenatal care visits reduced PTB likelihood (aOR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.53–0.88). Women in the richest wealth index had higher odds of PTB (aOR = 2.28; 95% CI: 1.39–3.74), while medium community literacy levels increased PTB risk (aOR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.21–2.03). Conclusion This study highlights that individual- and community-level factors significantly influence PTB in Kenya. Addressing disparities in socio-demographic and obstetric factors through targeted, multipronged strategies is essential for reducing PTB rates and improving maternal and neonatal outcomes.

African immigrants in the United States experience increased HIV risk due to social and structural barriers such as language constraints, stigma, and cultural misconceptions. Despite this, research on effective pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) messaging tailored to this population remains limited. This study examines how PrEP communication can be adapted to meet the needs of Ghanaian immigrants who represent a segment of the larger African immigrant population. Semistructured interviews were conducted, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using NVivo 12. The analysis highlights key considerations for effective PrEP messaging, including the importance of cultural and linguistic relevance, the role of familiar and relatable messengers, and the need for clear and practical information. Participants emphasized the significance of addressing stigma and misinformation with factual, empathetic messaging and expressed a preference for ongoing community-based education about PrEP. Community leaders and health care professionals were identified as influential sources of information, capable of shaping attitudes and increasing uptake. These findings underscore the necessity of culturally tailored, community-driven approaches to PrEP messaging that bridge linguistic and cultural gaps. Integrating these insights into health communication strategies can improve awareness, acceptance, and utilization of PrEP among Ghanaian immigrants, ultimately contributing to more equitable HIV prevention efforts.

We report genomes of five phages isolated using the actinobacterium Rhodococcus equi NRRL B-16538 . Based on gene content similarity, one phage is assigned to actinobacteriphage cluster CF, one to cluster CR, two to cluster CG, and one that cannot be assigned to any existing cluster. The latter encodes a five-gene thymine hypermodification system.

Achieving a good life for all within planetary boundaries is essential for sustainability. But analysing this goal is hindered by problems of definition, measurement, and the large number of potentially relevant factors. The indicator ‘years of good life’ (YoGL) is defined as the number of years a person can expect to live above absolute poverty, enjoy good physical and cognitive health, and experience positive life satisfaction 1. YoGL has been quantified 2, but how it depends on resource requirements and other potential determinants has not yet been studied. We analysed this question for ~110 countries from 1990 to 2019, revealing that the relationship between YoGL and resource use (materials, energy) and emissions follows saturation curves. YoGL/resource use ratios improve over time, which we analyse in fixed effects and between-effects panel analyses considering factors hypothesized to affect this ratio. We find that education, health expenditures, and per-capita GDP covary with YoGL, whereas ambient air pollution and income inequality are negatively related to YoGL. In panel analyses considering all factors simultaneously, resource and emission indicators lose importance and are often negatively related with YoGL. In countries with high-YoGL (upper three deciles), income becomes insignificant, while other factors remain important. Reducing income inequality and air pollution, as well as promoting education and healthcare, while minimizing the use of physical resources and emissions hence emerge as essential strategies for raising social wellbeing sustainably.

A modelagem baseada em agentes (MBA) é uma metodologia poderosa e acessível para explorar sistemas complexos, onde interações simples entre indivíduos podem gerar comportamentos coletivos emergentes. Este artigo apresenta a MBA de maneira didática e fluida, utilizando a interface NetLogo para exemplificar como a metodologia pode ser aplicada em diversas áreas, como ecologia, saúde pública, economia e sociologia. Com uma abordagem prática, mostramos que não é necessário um conhecimento avançado em computação para começar a usar a MBA, mas que sua versatilidade permite investigar questões complexas do mundo real. Ao final, o leitor será capaz de entender os fundamentos da MBA, interpretar resultados de simulações e identificar sua aplicabilidade em diferentes contextos reais.

Adolescents and young adults in the USA face significant sexual health challenges. Immigrant and refugee youth are particularly vulnerable due to barriers such as cultural silence around sex, contraception stigma, and knowledge gaps in sexual health. This pilot study explored the potential of a choose-your-own-adventure (CYOA) story intervention to address reproductive and sexual health disparities and enhance prevention engagement among immigrant and refugee youth in Central Ohio. We conducted semistructured interviews with 32 immigrant and refugee young adults recruited through a community organization. The interviews explored the impact of CYOA stories on participants’ understanding of dating and sexual health and identified key design features and player experiences that contribute to the intervention’s effectiveness. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Participants (n = 32) were predominantly female (87.5%) and aged 18–25 years. The CYOA intervention significantly improved understanding of sexual health through engaging scenarios that simulated real-life interactions and decision-making processes. The intervention’s inclusive design and interactive elements were pivotal in enhancing understanding, though minor technical and navigational issues were noted as areas for improvement. Realistic scenarios, peer interaction, and customization features were particularly effective in promoting engagement and learning. The CYOA format is a promising tool for sexual health promotion among immigrant and refugee youth. Carefully designed interactive stories can significantly improve young adults’ understanding and communication regarding sexual health.

Swimmer's itch is caused by the accidental penetration of human skin by various species of avian schistosomes that naturally cycle in bird and snail hosts. Little is known about the ontogeny of avian schistosomes in their vertebrate hosts, especially in wild birds. Taking advantage of the abundance of common merganser (Mergus merganser) broods on northern Lower Peninsula lakes in Michigan, we obtained fecal samples from 97 common mergansers, focusing on ducklings (n = 75) of 13 different ages but also including birds that were 1 yr and older. Miracidia hatching from fecal samples were quantified per gram of feces to determine the timeline and reproductive output of naturally acquired schistosome infections. All ducklings 18 days or younger were negative. Beginning at 21 days old, some ducklings were passing a small number of eggs, with the percentage of ducklings passing eggs increasing with age. The number of eggs passed by ducklings remained low until approximately 7 wk of age. At 52 days and older, all ducklings were passing eggs and the number of miracidia produced was frequently many times higher, strongly consistent with published mitigation studies that duckling relocation severely reduces snail infections and case reports of swimmer's itch. Surprisingly, second-year common mergansers also passed high numbers of schistosome eggs but may contribute less to successful transmission to snails based on the published success of mitigation by duckling relocation. All brooding hens sampled were positive but passed low numbers of eggs. This is the first study of the development patterns of any avian schistosome in wild young-of-the-year birds, and the patterns are compared with the few known laboratory studies on worm development.

Introduction Non‐Hispanic Black (Black) colorectal cancer (CRC) patients have a higher risk of mortality than most other racial/ethnic groups. Limited studies examine the contribution of socioeconomic (SES), clinicopathologic, or treatment variations to mortality disparities. This retrospective cohort investigation examined the extent to which SES, clinicopathologic, and treatment factors explain racial/ethnic differences in CRC mortality. Methods We studied 146,515 individuals, 18+ years old, with a confirmed diagnosis of CRC within 2010–2017, identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We performed Cox regression analyses to examine the association of race and ethnicity, surgery type, and tumor site with all‐cause mortality and CRC‐specific mortality. We then performed mediation analysis to quantify the extent to which mortality differences were mediated by SES, clinicopathologic, and treatment factors. Results Black patients had a significantly higher hazard of all‐cause mortality than non‐Hispanic White (White) patients. The White versus Black patients' comparison demonstrated that variations in SES and clinicopathologic factors significantly explained 46.63% (indirect effect HR: 0.92, 95% CI 0.91–0.93) and 10.87% (indirect effect HR: 0.98, 95% CI 0.97–0.99) of the excess all‐cause mortality among Black patients, respectively. The Hispanic versus Black comparisons identified SES as the most influential mediator, explaining 19.68% of the excess all‐cause mortality. The proportions mediating for CRC‐specific mortality showed comparable outcomes to all‐cause mortality. Conclusion Black patients had a greater risk for all‐cause mortality and CRC‐specific mortality attributed to SES and clinicopathologic variations compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Future studies should investigate equity in healthcare through interventions addressing SES‐related disparities.

Incubating passerines modulate their behavior in response to local conditions and changing energetic demands, and nest microclimate can significantly influence female incubation behavior. We tested how ambient temperature affects incubation behavior, and how incubation behavior in turn influences in‐nest temperature for an open‐cup nesting passerine, the hooded warbler Setophaga citrina. We also examined how covariates of brown‐headed cowbird Molothrus ater parasitism, clutch size, year, and females' experience influence female management of incubation behavior and in‐nest temperatures. We used iButtons to measure nest microclimate and in‐nest temperatures for incubating hooded warblers in southern Ohio, USA, and we used in‐nest temperatures to estimate incubation behavior. Under warmer ambient conditions, females incubated for longer periods of time, with fewer (but longer) off‐bouts, resulting in a higher proportion of time spent incubating. These data suggested that females under cooler circumstances leave the nest more to forage for themselves; while warmer conditions allowed females to stay on the nest longer for each on‐bout, and for a greater proportion of the day. However, increasing variability of ambient temperatures caused females to take more off‐bouts and on‐bouts. Incubation behaviors directly influenced the realized in‐nest temperatures: longer on‐bouts and more incubation time overall generated higher and more stable in‐nest temperatures. In contrast, longer off‐bouts resulted in lower mean in‐nest temperatures and less stable nest temperatures, resulting in lower hatching success. Our results linked the flexibility of incubation behavior in response to nest microclimate variation to in‐nest temperatures and hatching success for an open‐cup nesting species, contributing to a better understanding of how climate influences critical maternal behaviors. Keywords: climate, incubation behavior, nest microclimate, parent–offspring conflict, reproductive rate, tradeoff

Have you ever thought about spending an academic leave teaching in a different country or advising United States (U.S.) policy-makers on emerging technologies, or spending time at the National Science Foundation (NSF), or working at one of the U.S. service academies? For computer science academics located in the U.S., the federal government offers a variety of opportunities for those interested in such positions, either as an academic leave or as a career change. This panel session explores several of these opportunities, including: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellowships, Fulbright U.S. Scholars Awards, Jefferson Science Fellowships, NSF rotator opportunities, and U.S. service academy careers. Panelists will describe their experiences in such positions and answer questions from the audience.

Aim Overcoming therapy resistance is critical for effective melanoma control. Upregulation of Rho/MRTF signaling in human and mouse melanomas causes resistance to targeted therapies. Inhibition of this pathway by MRTFi, CCG-257081 resensitized resistant melanomas to BRAF and MEK inhibitors. It also prevented the development of resistance to vemurafenib (Vem). Here, we investigate the role of apoptosis and the protein pirin in CCG-257081-mediated suppression of drug resistance. Methods Using naïve and resistant mouse YUMMER melanoma cells, we studied the effect of the BRAF inhibitor Vem with or without CCG-257081 on real-time growth and apoptosis (activation of caspase, Propidium iodide (PI) staining, and PARP cleavage). The effects of CCG-257081 on proliferation (Ki67) and caspase-3 activation were assessed in resistant YUMMER_R tumors in vivo. Finally, two CCG-257081 enantiomers were tested for pirin binding, inhibition of the Rho/MRTF-mediated activation of ACTA2 gene expression in fibroblasts, and the prevention of Vem resistance development by YUMMER_P cells. Results Vem reduced growth of parental but not resistant cells, while CCG-257081 inhibited both. The combination was more effective than Vem alone. CCG-257081, but not Vem, induced activation of caspase-3 and -7 in resistant cells and increased PARP cleavage and PI staining. CCG-257081 reduced proliferation and activated caspase-3 in YUMMER_R melanoma tumors. Both CCG-257081 enantiomers robustly suppressed development of Vem-resistant colonies with the S isomer being more potent (1 μM IC50). Conclusion CCG-257081 appears to target pre-resistant cells and Vem-induced resistant cells through enhanced apoptosis. Inhibition of pirin or the Rho/MRTF pathway can be employed to prevent melanoma resistance.

Purpose The purpose of this scoping review was to understand what is known about the friendships of individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. Because communication is important to friendship, severe communication impairment may impact the establishment or maintenance of friendships in unique and important ways. Method Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for scoping reviews and Covidence software using an established set of operationally defined inclusion criteria supported the identification of the 46 papers included in this review. Included papers presented original data on the friendships of individuals with disabilities (acquired and developmental) who could benefit from AAC across the lifespan. Data were extracted to identify features of the body of literature and to identify themes that could inform future research and clinical practice. Results Themes identified from the included studies related to how friendship is defined, supports for friendship formation and maintenance, help and care in friendships, positive outcomes, barriers, the impact of AAC, and recommendations for moving clinical practice and research forward. Conclusions Friendships are chosen relationships that stem from congruences in perspectives between two individuals. People who use AAC, like the broader population, are likely to seek out and maintain friendships with people who are similar to them: people who share personality traits, past experiences (including experiencing disability), interests, and activities. Creative solutions are needed to increase the independence of disabled children and adults to meet and engage with new people with a variety of lived experiences. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.28119857

This article aims to help Positive Social Science (PSS) researchers develop theories of virtues, whether of single, discrete virtues, or several virtues considered together. We argue that a weak virtue theory assumes a virtue consists of single constructs, whereas a deep virtue theory assumes a virtue is an integrated system of constructs. We briefly review indicators of weak theory in the PSS literature: definitional divergence, valence confusion, and conceptual incommensurability. Drawing from the field of Virtue Ethics, we suggest four essential attributes of a virtue that should guide the development of deep virtue theory. Any virtue is (1) holistic, in that it integrates all aspects of character, including cognition, affect, and behavior; (2) a human good, in that it is an intrinsic aspect of individual well-being and a flourishing community; (3) situationally expressed, such that prudence regulates its enactment across various situations; and (4) characteristic, in that it is a second-nature trait rather than a state. We suggest four principles that account for these attributes. Scholars might use these principles to build deep virtue theory and evaluate existing, empirically based PSS virtue theories. We propose that PSS scholars will create more robust theories, develop more defensible and meaningful measures, and generate more compelling accounts of specific virtues if they draw on these principles.

Immunological, reproductive, and population endpoints were assessed in fish-eating birds during 2010–2019 in the Saginaw River and Bay and River Raisin Areas of Concern (AOCs) and Grand Traverse Bay, which are ecosystems historically contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls, dibenzo-p-dioxins, and dibenzofurans. Reference sites were in the lower St. Marys River (herring gulls and Caspian terns), eastern Lake Superior (terns), and eastern Lake Huron (black-crowned night herons). Relative risk ratios for embryonic nonviability (from both infertility and mortality) in gull embryos were 2–3-fold higher than the reference site in both AOCs and Grand Traverse Bay. Twelve of 13 deformed embryos and chicks (e.g., crossed bills and gastroschisis) were observed at the contaminated sites. Productivity of 4-week-old tern chicks in Saginaw Bay was 35% lower than that at reference sites. In the River Raisin AOC, productivity of 4-week gull chicks was poor in 7 of 10 years. Numbers of breeding herring gulls decreased significantly in the River Raisin AOC, and breeding Caspian terns, a state-threatened species, declined in the Saginaw River and Bay AOC. The mean T cell-dependent phytohemagglutinin skin response was suppressed 50%–56% in gull chicks in both AOCs and Grand Traverse Bay, and 49% in terns and 33% in herons in Saginaw Bay. Antibody responses in gull chicks in the River Raisin AOC and Grand Traverse Bay were 1.6–2-fold lower than reference. Time trend analyses showed no significant improvements in reproductive and immune endpoints in either AOC or Grand Traverse Bay over the study period. Embryonic death increased with time in gulls in the lower Saginaw Bay, and antibody responses decreased in terns in the outer Saginaw Bay.