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Tutoring can be an effective high-impact practice (HIP) to support diverse students across academic majors. Using 2017-2019 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) data, Zilvinskis (2021) found participating in tutoring was significantly related to the engagement measures of Academic Challenge, Support for Learners, and Student-Faculty Interaction. These findings suggest peer tutoring as a high-impact practice for the academic success of undergraduate students at the community college level. Using post-pandemic national CCSSE data, the authors continued this research to see if students from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and outcomes were more or less likely to receive tutoring at community colleges. These findings can provide a roadmap for educators on which students are participating in this important experience, and which groups remain underserved.

Exclusionary school discipline is one of the primary ways that schools address student behavior. Existing scholarship has focused on examining the implications of exclusionary school discipline for two sets of outcomes: academic achievement and future juvenile and criminal legal involvement. However, these two areas of scholarship are largely treated as separate. In this paper, we bridge these two research areas by drawing on scholarship examining the negative educational consequences of police contact for youth. Specifically, we formally test the proposition that the association between school suspension in childhood and adolescent academic achievement is mediated by police contact experienced in early adolescence. Using data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we find support for this hypothesis: Early adolescent police contact explains approximately 30% of the association between school suspension in childhood and adolescent GPA. By relying on exclusionary school discipline, our results suggest that schools are setting the stage for youth to become involved in the criminal legal system, which, in turn, hinders future academic achievement.

Objetivo: Verifi car a associação entre a religiosidade e o sentimento de solidão em idosos viúvos. Métodos: Participaram 200 idosos viúvos com idade ≥ 60 anos que frequentam o ambulatório do Instituto de Geriatria e Gerontologia da PUC-RS. Os instrumentos utilizados foram a escala de solidão da Ucla e a Escala de Frequência de Práticas Religiosas e a Escala de Religiosidade Intrínseca/Extrínseca. Resultados: Os resultados obtidos demonstraram um alto nível de solidão da amostra, tendo uma média de 48,4%. Para a estimativa da escala da solidão, 36,7% das variações ocorridas podem ser explicadas pela renda, em que quanto maior a renda maior o nível de solidão. Ainda foi encontrada signifi cância na correlação entre solidão e sexo, mostrando que viúvos demonstram maior satisfação social do que viúvas. A maior parte dos idosos apresentou tendência à religiosidade intrínseca (média = 25,5%). Outra relação signifi cativa encontrada foi entre a religiosidade e a faixa etária, sendo que quanto mais idoso, maior a tendência para a prática da religiosidade intrínseca. Foi encontrada diferença signifi cativa na relação entre a escala de solidão e a escala de religiosidade social. Conclusão: De modo geral, verifi cou-se que a renda é um fator preditivo para o sentimento de solidão e a faixa etária é um fator preditivo para a prática da religiosidade intrínseca entre idosos viúvos. Além disso, identifi cou-se que a prática da religiosidade social pode diminuir o sentimento de solidão de idosos viúvos.

Abstract Increasing biological nitrogen (N) fixation (BNF) in maize production could reduce the environmental impacts of N fertilizer use, but reactive N in the rhizosphere of maize limits the BNF process. Using non-transgenic methods, we developed gene-edited strains of Klebsiella variicola (Kv137-2253) and Kosakonia sacchari (Ks6-5687) bacteria optimized for root-associated BNF and ammonium excretion in N-rich conditions. The aim of this research was to elucidate the mechanism of action of these strains. We present evidence from in vitro, in planta and field experiments that confirms that our genetic remodeling strategy derepresses BNF activity in N-rich systems and increases ammonium excretion by orders of magnitude above the respective wildtype strains. BNF is demonstrated in controlled environments by the transfer of labeled 15N2 gas from the rhizosphere to the chlorophyll of inoculated maize plants. This was corroborated in several 15N isotope tracer field experiments where inoculation with the formulated, commercial-grade product derived from the gene-edited strains (PIVOT BIO PROVEN® 40) provided on average 21 kg N ha-1 to the plant by the VT-R1 growth stages. Data from small-plot and on-farm trials suggest that this technology can improve crop N status pre-flowering and has potential to mitigate the risk of yield loss associated with a reduction in synthetic N fertilizer inputs.

Objective The objective of this study was to assess 52‐week efficacy and safety of bimekizumab in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) with or without concomitant methotrexate (+/−MTX) treatment at baseline. Methods We conducted a post hoc analysis of patients in BE OPTIMAL (NCT03895203; biologic disease‐modifying antirheumatic drug [bDMARD]‐naïve), BE COMPLETE (NCT03896581; prior inadequate response or intolerance to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors [TNFi‐IR]), and the BE VITAL open‐label extension (NCT04009499) study. Patients were randomized to one of the following treatment groups: bimekizumab 160 mg every four weeks, placebo, or a reference drug (adalimumab 40 mg every two weeks; BE OPTIMAL only). From Week 16, placebo‐randomized patients received bimekizumab. Missing data were imputed using non‐responder imputation, multiple imputation, or worst‐category imputation. Results Through Week 52, similar proportions of bimekizumab‐treated patients achieved American College of Rheumatology 50% (ACR50) response criteria for both +MTX and −MTX (BE OPTIMAL: 54.4% +MTX, 54.7% −MTX; BE COMPLETE: 56.3% +MTX, 48.0% −MTX). Similar proportions of bimekizumab‐treated patients achieved complete skin clearance (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index 100% [PASI100] response) and minimal disease activity in both +MTX and −MTX groups. Similar trends were seen in placebo/bimekizumab‐treated patients. Through Week 52, the proportion of bimekizumab‐treated patients with ≥1 treatment‐emergent adverse event were similar between the +MTX and −MTX groups (BE OPTIMAL 325 of 410 [79.3%] vs 230 of 292 [78.8%], BE COMPLETE 105 of 168 [62.5%] vs 138 of 220 [62.7%]). The safety profile was comparable between subgroups and consistent with the prior safety profile of bimekizumab. Conclusion Treatment with bimekizumab demonstrated consistent, sustained efficacy to 52 weeks in bDMARD‐naïve and TNFi‐IR patients with PsA and was well tolerated, irrespective of concomitant MTX.

Abstract When making adaptive decisions, we actively demand information, but relatively little is known about the mechanisms of active information gathering. An open question is how the brain prospectively estimates the information gains that are expected to accrue from various sources by integrating simpler quantities of prior certainty and the reliability (diagnosticity) of a source. We examine this question using fMRI in a task in which people placed bids to obtain information in conditions that varied independently in the rewards, decision uncertainty, and information diagnosticity. We show that, consistent with value of information theory, the participants’ bids are sensitive to prior certainty (the certainty about the correct choice before gathering information) and expected posterior certainty (the certainty expected after gathering information). Expected posterior certainty is decoded from multivoxel activation patterns in the posterior parietal and extrastriate cortices. This representation is independent of instrumental rewards and spatially overlaps with distinct representations of prior certainty and expected information gains. The findings suggest that the posterior parietal and extrastriate cortices are candidates for mediating the prospection of posterior probabilities as a key step to anticipating information gains during active gathering of instrumental information.

Abstract Introduction With newer biologics, the achievement of complete skin clearance has become an attainable treatment goal for patients with plaque psoriasis. We evaluate how improvements in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) responses, particularly at incremental improvements approaching complete skin clearance (PASI 100), translate into improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and patient-perceived symptoms. Methods Data from the BE RADIANT phase 3b trial (NCT03536884) and its open-label extension (OLE), pooled across all study visits and treatments over 16 weeks (randomised patients) and 2 years (patients entering the OLE), were analysed using mixed-effects logistic regression models. Proportions of patients achieving a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) of 0/1, DLQI item scores of 0, and Psoriasis Symptoms and Impacts Measure (P-SIM) item scores of 0 for itching, scaling, and skin pain at specific PASI improvement levels were estimated. Results Seven hundred and forty-three patients were randomised to treatment; 654 entered the OLE. Using 16-week pooled data, there were incremental improvements in the proportions of patients estimated by our model to achieve DLQI 0/1 with PASI 100 compared with 95% (PASI = 95%) and 90% (PASI = 90%) improvements in PASI (93.0%, 89.3%, and 83.8% achieving DLQI 0/1, respectively). Estimated proportions achieving DLQI item scores of 0 had the greatest increases at higher PASI improvement levels for Items 1 (itchy, sore, painful, or stinging skin), 2 (embarrassment), and 4 (choice of clothing). Estimated proportions of patients achieving P-SIM = 0 were also higher for PASI 100 (itching: 61.7%; scaling: 82.2%; skin pain: 96.9%) than for PASI = 95% (50.8%; 72.3%; 95.7%) and PASI = 90% (39.8%; 59.5%; 94.0%). Similar benefits of incremental PASI improvements were estimated using 2-year data. Conclusions Complete skin clearance translated into the greatest benefits to HRQoL and patient-perceived symptoms, over and above skin clearance between 90% and 100%, highlighting the importance of targeting PASI 100 as a treatment outcome for patients with psoriasis. Trial Registration Number NCT03536884. Complete skin clearance is associated with the greatest benefits to health-related quality of life and perceived symptoms for patients with psoriasis: KeyResults and Conclusions (MP4 72828 kb)

Abstract The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) is a commonly used tool for evaluating verbal learning and memory in neuropsychological assessments. In recent years, we developed a Virtual Reality (VR) adaptation of the RAVLT (VR-RVLT), aiming for increased ecological validity compared to the traditional pen and paper gold standard (GS-RAVLT). Following validation in healthy cohorts, the VR-RAVLT was validated with thirty individuals with Parkinson's Disease (PD) that completed both the GS-RAVLT and the VR- RAVLT. Validity of the VR-RAVLT was evaluated by assessing its construct and discriminant validity, and test–retest reliability, in comparison to the GS-RAVLT. Results of the PD participants were compared to those of 46 previously recruited healthy participants with comparable age and level of education. Main outcome measures derived from the remembered items on the test lists, exhibited significant and comparable correlations between VR-RAVLT and GS-RAVLT, both among healthy participants and PD participants. Likewise, serial position effects were similar for both formats amog the PD participants. Additionally, both formats showed similar discriminatory ability between healthy controls and PD participants, as well as comparable test–retest reliability measures. Taken together, the results suggest that the VR-based RAVLT is equally effective in measuring verbal memory capabilities in individuals with PD as compared to the GS-RAVLT. Certain results indicate that the virtual reality version has the capability to encompass additional factors that might impact memory performance, thereby suggesting an enhanced ecological validity.

Abstract Background Medical staff are regularly confronted with workplace violence (WPV), which poses a threat to the safety of both staff and patients. Structured de-escalation training (DET) for Emergency Department (ED) staff has been shown to positively affect the reporting of WPV incidents and possibly reduce its impact. This study aimed to describe the development of incidence rates, causes, means, targets, locations, responses, and the time of WPV events. Additionally, it explored the effect of the staff trained in DET on the objective and subjective severity of the respective WPV events. Methods In a retrospective, single-center cohort study, we analyzed ten years of WPV events using the data of Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revised (SOAS-R) score (ranging from 0 to 22) in a tertiary ED from 2014 to 2023. The events were documented by ED staff and stored in the electronic health record (EHR). Results Between 2014 and 2023, 160 staff members recorded 859 incidents, noting an average perceived severity of 5.78 (SD = 2.65) and SOAS-R score of 11.18 (SD = 4.21). Trends showed a non-significant rise in incident rates per 10,000 patients over time. The WPV events were most frequently reported by nursing staff, and the cause of the aggression was most often not discernible (n = 353, 54.56%). In total, n = 273 (31.78%) of the WPV events were categorized as severe, and the most frequent target of the aggressive behavior was the staff. WPV events occurred most frequently in the traumatology section and the detoxification rooms. While the majority of events could be addressed with verbal interventions, more forceful interventions were performed significantly more often for higher severity WPV events. More WPV events occurred during off-hours and were of a significantly higher objective and subjective severity. Overall, the presence of staff with completed DET led to significantly higher SOAS-R scores and higher perceived severity. Conclusion The findings underline the relevance of WPV events in the high-risk environment of an ED. The analyzed data suggest that DET significantly fostered the awareness of WPV. While most events can be addressed with verbal interventions, WPV remains a concern that needs to be addressed through organizational measures and further research.

In the ever-shifting world of school choice, what began as a homegrown charter-school network's small experiment in microschooling stands out as unique -- and as a uniquely promising model for replication. Gem Prep, a network of seven brick-and-mortar K-12 charter schools in Idaho, anchored by a longstanding and high-performing online school, launched an experiment called Learning Societies at the start of the 2022-23 school year. Two publicly funded Learning Societies opened in August 2022, one in the hamlet of Emmett, 30 miles northwest of Boise, with 22 students in grades 1-5, and the other in Lewiston in northern Idaho, with seven students in grades 1-5. Learning Societies have the potential to achieve a happy medium that combines the strengths of both homeschooling (or online learning from home) and a traditional brick-and-mortar school.

Professional development in policy for K-12 teachers is relatively rare despite the indelible role that teachers play in policy implementation. This study describes the experiences of five teachers who completed the 10-month Texas Education Policy Fellowship Program. Results showed that the experienced classroom teachers garnered the most policy knowledge, situated leadership development, and networks. Additionally, they sought new professional development, and provided input to policy processes locally and with other teachers.