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Chinese students studying abroad have been increasing rapidly in the past decades and become a significant financial contribution to receiving countries. Accordingly, understanding their enrollment choice is essential to facilitate college marketing and admission strategies. Though the decision process is believed to be different from domestic students, empirical analysis of Chinese students' enrollment choices is still lacking. This paper fills the void by examining the influential factors of Chinese students' enrollment choice with novel student-level data. We find that in addition to factors domestic students typically consider, such as financial aid and academic quality, Chinese students particularly emphasize college ranking, reputation, and location in their decision process. Furthermore, unlike domestic students who usually prefer colleges with proximity to home, Chinese students' location preference is linked to job prosperity. We also find that the impact of the factors varies for students from different regions of China, which can be attributable to uneven economic development within the country.

Few studies have been conducted to investigate the ethical perspectives of in-service teachers on assessment issues cross-culturally. The purpose of the study was to investigate the ethical judgment by in-service teachers in the United States and China on twenty scenarios of student assessment practices. In the spring of 2020, 130 American teachers and 161 Chinese teachers completed a survey questionnaire on these assessment scenarios. The quantitative and qualitative results indicated that respondents had different ethical decisions in 9 out of 20 scenarios. Further analysis indicated that there was a high degree of similarities in ethical reasoning, and 10 scenarios with mixed reasoning indicated that certain sub-themes were different. This study reveals that cultural differences are likely reflected in their ethical judgment when presented with certain assessment scenarios. The awareness of such differences should be raised by considering assessment, teaching, and learning together.

Instructional settings (English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL)) may provide different opportunities for learners' meaningful language use. This qualitative study was designed to shed light on this issue. The data included multiple sources collected from a sustained content gastronomy language course taught in an American ESL and a Taiwanese EFL context. Findings revealed that various factors (e.g., themes, environment, and learners) contributed to learners from both contexts meeting course goals. The findings further indicate that it is not the ESL/EFL context but instead using a sustained content language teaching approach that incorporates theme-based instruction and dynamic units that ensures learners are provided opportunities for meaningful and purposeful language use.

This study aims to explore teacher noticing differences of the sampled US and Chinese elementary teachers from cross-cultural mathematics videos. A total of 34 expert teachers commented on 25 video clips online. We coded what and how teachers noticed from the videos both quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings reveal teachers' strong interests and profound reflections, especially in the teaching domain including representations, communication, and teacher questioning/guide. Cross-cultural differences in teacher noticing were identified, which were discussed based on possible cultural influences. Implications in research and practice, teacher support, and methodology are discussed.

This exploratory study examined whether instruction aligned with the Institute of Education Sciences recommendations (i.e., use of worked examples, representations, deep questions) predicts student learning of early algebra, particularly inverse relations, in elementary classrooms. Instructional quality was determined through an opportunity-propensity analysis of cross-cultural data (N = 569) from the United States and China, which showed that teaching played a stronger role in student learning than previously reported. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that teaching quality--especially teachers' use of deep questions--had both direct and indirect effects (through prior knowledge) on student learning, which together demonstrated greater predictive power than what was reported in previous studies. Specifically, direct path results showed that instructional quality, rather than teacher characteristics, played a more important role in predicting student learning. Indirect effects showed that instructional quality, mediated through students' prior knowledge, predicted the most about students' mathematics achievement. Taken together, the results of the analysis provided strong evidence that implementation of worked examples, representations, and deep questions were positively related to student learning in early algebra. Hierarchical linear regression confirmed these findings but indicated that teaching quality in the current data explained more additional variance in "correctness" than "inverse understanding" for student learning. These findings suggest that the kind of instruction examined in prior opportunity-propensity studies had a weaker effect because it did not align with the Institute of Education Sciences recommendations. Findings also shed light on the extent to which classroom instructions are better at developing students' algebraic readiness.

This study examines how sampled Chinese and U.S. third and fourth grade students (N[subscript China] = 167, N[subscript US] = 97) understand the commutative, associative, and distributive properties. These students took both pre- and post-tests conducted at the beginning and end of a school year. Comparisons between students' pre- and post-tests within and across countries indicate different learning patterns. Overall, Chinese students demonstrate a much better understanding than their U.S. counterparts. Among these properties, the associative and distributive properties appear to be most challenging, especially for the U.S. students. By the end of grade 4, some Chinese students demonstrate explicit understanding of the associative and distributive properties across tasks; almost no U.S. students achieve a comparable level of understanding on these properties. Student understanding in different contexts also reveals cross-cultural differences. Chinese students tend to reason upon concrete contexts for sense-making, which is rare with U.S. students. Finally, the Chinese student sample shows clear growth of understanding across grades, but this is not seen in the U.S. sample. This understanding gap between the two countries is found to dramatically increase over time. Implications are discussed.

There are substantial differences between the Chinese and US education systems. One difference is in the design and use of assessment due to differences in educational policies. This study described the differences in student learning outcomes, instructional approaches, and learner motivation in physical education as consequences of the policies in the two countries. Objectively measured data on skill and knowledge achievement and instructional procedures, and self-report data on student motivation were collected from a random sample of 870 students in 24 whole classes from eight Chinese middle schools and 1213 students in 39 classes from 15 US middle schools. Multivariate analyses of variance on class means revealed that Chinese students outperformed their US peers in skills, perhaps because skills were part of the high-stake tests for advancement in schooling. They were outperformed by the US students in a fitness knowledge test, perhaps because knowledge was not part of the high-stake tests. The differences in learning outcomes, instructional approaches, and motivation seem to suggest strong differentiated influences from the two countries' respective educational environments and assessment policies.

Linear quantity models such as pre-tapes, tape diagrams, and number line diagrams have drawn increasing attention in mathematics education around the world. However, we still know relatively little about how teachers actually use these models in the classroom. This study explores how exemplary US and Chinese elementary teachers use linear quantity models during mathematics instruction. Based on an examination of 64 videotaped lessons on inverse relations, we identified 110 "diagram episodes." An analysis of these episodes reveals that linear quantity models, especially tape diagrams, were used more frequently in US classrooms than in Chinese classrooms. However, Chinese lessons used these models for the sole purpose of modeling the underlying quantitative relationships, whereas US lessons mainly used them to aid in computation. In addition, while US teachers rarely involved students in discussion of linear quantity models, Chinese teachers spent significant time engaging students in co-constructing, comparing, and explaining these models.

This study, focusing on inverse relations, examines how representative U.S. and Chinese elementary textbooks may provide opportunities to learn fundamental mathematical ideas. Findings from this study indicate that both of the U.S. textbook series (grades K-6) in comparison to the Chinese textbook samples (grades 1-6), presented more instances of inverse relations, while also containing more unique types of problems; yet, the Chinese textbooks provided more opportunities supporting meaningful and explicit learning. In particular, before presenting corresponding practice problems, Chinese textbooks contextualized worked examples of inverse relations in real-world situations to aid in sense making of computational or checking procedures. The Chinese worked examples also differed in representation uses especially through concreteness fading. Finally, the Chinese textbooks spaced learning over time, systematically stressing structural relations including the inverse quantities relationships. These findings shed light on ways to support students' meaningful and explicit learning of fundamental mathematical ideas in elementary school.

Each year, more than 790 000 people in the United States suffer from a stroke. Although progress has been made in diagnosis and treatment of ischemic stroke (IS), new therapeutic interventions to protect the brain during an ischemic insult is highly needed. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. Growing evidence suggests that miRNAs have a profound impact on ischemic stroke progression and are potential targets of novel treatments. Notably, inflammatory pathways play an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke and its pathophysiologic progression. Experimental and clinical studies have illustrated that inflammatory molecular events collaboratively contribute to neuronal and glial cell survival, edema formation and regression, and vascular integrity. In the present review, we examine recent discoveries regarding miRNAs and their roles in post-ischemic stroke neuropathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of problem behavior theory, the purpose of this study was to examine risk behavior profiles of typical and atypical adolescents and the differential outcomes of well-beings for these individuals in the United States. Based on the data from the survey of Health Behavior of School-Aged Children by World Health Organization, multidimensional scaling profile analysis was used to identify prototypical risk behavior profiles and atypical adolescents. Analyses suggested prototypicality of risk behavior patterns rather than a risk behavior syndrome. The regression analysis was then conducted to investigate the effects of atypical individuals vs. prototypical risk groups on well-being outcomes. The results indicated that those adolescents who were identified as more atypical than typical reported less positive psychological outcomes. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)

The literature on formulaic language lacks sufficient research on how L2 learners make progress in native-like formulaicity of their target language. This study analyzed the use of formulaic sequences (FSs) by 56 Chinese university English majors in their prepared monologues at the beginning and end of a three-year period and compared the student performance with that of 15 American college students. The developmental changes of FSs were measured along three dimensions: frequency, accuracy and variation. The results showed that although over three years of college study Chinese EFL learners have made progress in frequency, accuracy and variation of the FSs used in oral production, they still fall behind the native speakers in frequency and accuracy. In addition, no significant changes could be found in error types and in most- and least-frequently occurring errors concerning FS in spite of language improvement. The most challenging area for them to tackle was the use of FSs containing prepositions and articles. The findings are of great value to language teachers as to inform them of where to direct their efforts and when to enhance the idiomaticity and fluency of their students' oral production. (Contains 6 tables.)

This study examines presentations of the distributive property (DP) in two widely used U.S. elementary text series and one main Chinese text series along three dimensions: problem contexts, typical problem types within each problem context, and variability in using the DP. In general, the two U.S. texts were found to resemble each other but to differ considerably from the Chinese text series. Both U.S. texts are computation-dominated, presenting various strategies centering on "breaking apart a factor to perform multiplication." These strategies limit the use of the DP mainly with whole numbers and in a regular direction. The underlying principle of these strategies is seldom made explicit. In contrast, the Chinese text approaches focus on the underlying principle and are well aligned with cognitive research suggestions. Multiple-step word problems with particular structures are used in a systematic and hierarchic manner across grades to help students learn and transfer the DP. The Chinese texts also tend to ask students to "compute in convenient ways" involving various numbers (e.g., whole numbers, decimals, fractions, and percents) and using the DP in both regular and opposite directions. The introduction of repeated variables is a timely application of the DP, which provides an entry to algebra (e.g., expressions and equations with repeated variables). The Chinese approaches (e.g., contextual interferences, spaced practice, and encoding variability) suggest alternative insights into developing U.S. students' understanding of the DP and readying them for algebra. (Contains 3 figures, 9 tables and 2 footnotes.)

This study reports findings from comparative samples of sixth-grade Chinese and U.S. students' interpretations of the equal sign. Ninety-eight percent of the Chinese sample correctly answered 4 items indicating conceptions of equality and provided conceptually accurate explanations. In contrast, only 28% of the U.S. sample performed at this level. We examine how teacher preparation materials, students' textbooks and teachers' guidebooks treat equality in each country. U.S. teacher preparation textbooks rarely interpreted the equal sign as equivalence. On the contrary, Chinese textbooks typically introduced the equal sign in a context of relationships and interpreted the sign as "balance," "sameness," or "equivalence" and only then embedded the sign with operations on numbers. (Contains 4 tables.)

Use of robust, quantitative tools to measure patient perspectives within product development and regulatory review processes offers the opportunity for medical device researchers, regulators, and other stakeholders to evaluate what matters most to patients and support the development of products that can best meet patient needs. The medical device innovation consortium (MDIC) undertook a series of projects, including multiple case studies and expert consultations, to identify approaches for utilizing patient preference information (PPI) to inform clinical trial design in the US regulatory context. Based on these activities, this paper offers a cogent review of considerations and opportunities for researchers seeking to leverage PPI within their clinical trial development programs and highlights future directions to enhance this field. This paper also discusses various approaches for maximizing stakeholder engagement in the process of incorporating PPI into the study design, including identifying novel endpoints and statistical considerations, crosswalking between attributes and endpoints, and applying findings to the population under study. These strategies can help researchers ensure that clinical trials are designed to generate evidence that is useful to decision makers and captures what matters most to patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers and researchers have long recognized that students tend to misunderstand the equal sign as an operator; that is, a signal for "doing something" rather than a relational symbol of equivalence or quantity sameness. Students' equal sign misconception has been researched for more than thirty years (Weaver, 1971, 1973) with little refinement in the theory. It was popularly believed that younger students were not developmentally ready to work variations of open numbers sentences, such as missing addend problems (Thompson & Babcock, 1978). In fact, misconceptions about the equal sign were identified in kindergarten students even before formal instruction (Falkner, Levi, & Carpenter, 1999). However, it is clear that with specific instructional guidance, elementary students can understand that the equal sign expresses a relation (Baroody & Ginsburg, 1983; Carpenter, Levi, & Farnsworth, 2000; Saenz-Ludlow & Walgamuth, 1998). In this article, the authors examine variables that could contribute to student's equivalence misconception and whether the equal sign misconception is still manifest in a U.S. sample and present in a Chinese sample. Findings indicate that misconceptions are still manifest in the U.S., and textbooks do little to mitigate the problem in the United States, while in China students are able to interpret the equal sign as a relational symbol of equivalence. The authors also found that the inclusion of multiple representations for equivalence in textbooks and guidebooks in China make a difference in assisting students to correctly interpret the equal sign.

Chronic corticosteroid (CS) use is associated with complications, but estimates of the economic and clinical burden in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) are lacking. To estimate the burden of chronic CS use in CD in the United States in terms of health care resource utilization (HRU), health care costs, and CS-related complications. This was a retrospective study of adults with CD initiated on biologics or conventional therapies (index date). Patients from a deidentified insurance claims database (2004-2021) were classified as chronic CS users (>90 days of CS use) or nonchronic CS users based on a 12-month landmark period starting on the index date. Patient baseline characteristics were balanced, and outcomes (HRU, costs [2021 US dollars], and CS-related complications) 12 months after the landmark period were compared between CS groups using regressions with nonparametric bootstrap resampling to estimate confidence intervals and P values. Biologic initiators (mean age: 44 years, 55% female) included 3366 chronic and 3401 nonchronic CS users; conventional therapy initiators (mean age: 51 years, 59% female) included 3657 chronic and 3727 nonchronic CS users. Compared with nonchronic users, chronic users had significantly more inpatient days and outpatient visits (biologic initiators: 37% and 24% more, respectively; conventional therapy initiators: 36% and 17%, respectively; all P <0.05). Chronic users also had significantly higher mean all-cause total costs per-patient-per year (biologic: $72,967 vs. $63,100, mean cost difference [MCD] = $9867; conventional therapy: $40,144 vs. $26,426, MCD = $13,718; all P <0.001), as well as higher odds of infection (biologic: 14% higher; conventional therapy: 20% higher) and bone loss (63% and 41%, respectively) (all P <0.05). Chronic CS use in patients with CD is associated with a significant economic and clinical burden including higher HRU, health care costs, and prevalence of complications, suggesting unmet needs in the clinical management of this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Findings Jiom cusp catastrophe modeling of binge drinking among college students in the United States (U.S.) and high school students in other countries (i.e., Japan) have advanced our understanding of alcohol abuse. No reported stitdy has used the same method to investigate binge drinking among U.S. high school students, a high-risk populationfbr alcohol abuse. In this study, we analyzed data for 12'h graders (n - 1122) from the 2015 Monitoring the Future (MFT) Study with cusp catastrophe models. Guided by Kahneman's dual-system theory that integrates the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior. perceived alcohol harm (0-3, larger indicating less harm) was modeled as asymmetry variable (knowledge and beliefs). and drinking in social settings (contextual ftictors, 0 = no and 4 = always) as bifurcation variable to predict binge drinking in the past two weeks (0,1,2,3 or more times). Analytical results indicated that a cusp model, depending on the method for parameter estimation could explain 36-88% of the variance in binge drinking while a linear model only explained up 1014%. Results from the indirect cusp modeling methods indicated that perceived alcohol harm and drinking in social settings both significantly predicted binge drinking. However, the estimated cusp point varied depending on the method fcr parameter estimation. In conclusion, the dynamics of binge drinking among U.S. high school students are nonlinear and discrete. Knowledgebased interventions to prevent binge drinking need to emphasize social and contextual factors that may trigger sudden behavior change to achieve greater intervention effect. To advance cusp catastrophe modeling, further research is needed to improve the method for parameter estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The widely used surfactant nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPEO) and its raw material 4-n-nonylphenol (4-n-NP), as well as its degradation products, are recognized as endocrine disrupting chemicals. The USA Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an assessment that looked for safe alternatives to NPEO. Vanillin ethoxylate (VAEO) is a novel substitute for NPEO and is quite similar to NPEO in structure; there is a risk that it has similar endocrine disrupting effects to NPEO. However, their effects on various nuclear hormone receptors have not been thoroughly examined. In this study, the effects of NPEO, VAEO, 4-n-NP and Vanillin on the estrogen receptor α (ERα), androgen receptor (AR), thyroid hormone receptor (TR), retinoic X receptor β (RXRβ) and estrogen-related receptor γ (ERRγ) were determined and compared using a battery of recombined yeast strains expressing β-galactosidase. The results showed that NPEO and 4-n-NP acted as significant antagonists of ER, AR, TR and ERRγ. In addition, 4-n-NP also had antagonistic activity toward RXRβ. Moreover, VAEO was shown to be a very weak antagonist of TR and ERRγ, and Vanillin had no interaction with any nuclear receptors. For the first time, it was found that NPEO had AR, TR and ERRγ antagonistic effects and that 4-n-NP was an antagonist of RXRβ. The in vitro data indicated that NPEO, 4-n-NP and VAEO have the potential to act as endocrine disruptors involving more than one nuclear hormone receptor, but VAEO has much lower endocrine disrupting potential than NPEO. Thus, it is critical to find safe substitutes for NPEO and a substitute of NPEO with structural analogues should be carried out with caution. Furthermore, to look for preferable alternatives for NPEO, more in vivo and in vitro studies of the alternatives concerning endocrine disruption are needed, especially in vitro studies need to involve various target points, not only focus on their effects on ER but also take other nuclear hormone receptor pathways into consideration. Highlights • For the first time, it was found that NPEO had AR, TR, and ERRγ antagonistic effects. • The novel alternative VAEO acted as a very weak antagonist of TR and ERRγ. • 4-n-NP acted as a significant antagonist of ER, AR, TR, RXRβ and ERRγ. • It was a novel finding that the antagonistic activity of 4-n-NP toward RXRβ. • More research would need to be done to find other safe substitutes for NPEO, due to VAEO against TR and ERRγ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been identified as a transformative, if not disruptive technology that may play multiple roles ranging from productivity booster, automation force, to existential threat to human beings. The U.S. and People's Republic of China have risen as the two AI superpowers in the world. Employing corpus-assisted discourse analysis and intercultural rhetorical analysis, this study investigates how AI has been constructed in the mainstream media of the U.S. and China. Our findings suggest that the U.S. and China have developed interest and strengths in different strategic areas of AI development, including computer, machine, Internet, recognition technology, driverless cars, and big data. This project highlights the need for international collaboration and public participation in AI development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychosocial metrics associated with self-reported blindness or visual impairment for adolescents in the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) have not been fully characterized. This retrospective cohort analysis of the latest NSDUH aimed to determine novel characteristics associated with self-reported visual loss among adolescents in the United States. Data from the NSDUH2020, a publicly available, federally validated database, were analyzed. Self-reported severe visual impairment or blindness was defined as being truly blind or having serious difficulty seeing even when wearing corrective lenses (s-rSVI). Inclusion criteria were all cases of s-rSVI in adolescents aged 12-17 years. NSDUH weights were used to accommodate complex survey design, nonresponse rates, and population variance. Weighted percentages, asymptotic two-sided Rao-Scott χ2 analyses, and multivariable logistic regression were performed. Statistical significance was considered reached at P < 0.05. A total of 5,667 adolescents aged 12-17 years were surveyed, and s-rSVI occurred in 236 cases (weighted percentage, 3.48%). Within our final multivariable risk model, characteristics associated with increased odds of s-rSVI were female sex, Asian and Latino race/ethnicity (relative to non-Hispanic White), and self-reported serious difficulty hearing and concentrating (all P < 0.05). This national retrospective cohort analysis highlights risk factors associated with s-rSVI for adolescents within the 2020 NSDUH. Clinicians and policymakers should consider at-risk demographics for s-rSVI during development and enhancement of screening programs, population health initiatives, and healthcare policy issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the demand for critical minerals required for solar photovoltaics (PV) technology continues to expand, there has been an increasing concern about supply risks of critical minerals, especially for large solar PV equipment manufacturers. Although supply risk has become a prominent issue, few studies were conducted on the supply risks of critical minerals from the perspective of multi-nations and the internal correlation between supply risks and economic variables. To this end, this study conducted a comparative analysis of the supply risks of chromium and gallium between China, the United States (US) and India from 2008 to 2020 and analyzed the impact of supply risks on the competitive advantage of solar PV industry by econometric models. The results indicate that: (1) For chromium, the fluctuation trends of their supply risks in China and the US are similarly stable (high risk), which are mainly affected by resource security risk and geopolitical risk, while India's supply risk fluctuates greatly with a relatively low supply risk. (2) For gallium, the supply risk of China is lower than that of the US and India, and there are obvious differences in supply risks in the three countries. (3) Resource security risk and geopolitical risk of chromium and resource security risk of gallium all have significant negative impacts on the industrial competitive advantage, and this impact varies greatly among countries. • Built an evaluation index combined with three risk metrics and nine indicators. • China, the US and India face different risks for chromium and gallium. • Assessed the impact of different supply risks on industrial competitive advantage. • Stuck neck minerals have greater impacts on the industrial competitive advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new optimal CAD system for the diagnosis of the skin cancer. • The idea is to provide an optimal Deep Believe Network (DBN), based on metaheuristics. • A new Modified version of Electromagnetic Field Optimization Algorithm is used for optimization. • The method is validated by a comparison between its results and some other related works. One of the most common kinds of cancer in the United States is skin cancer. This kind of cancer occurs when the cells that make up the skin layer grow uncontrollably and divide rapidly. To avoid the skin cancer harms, it is better to detect it in the early stages. Due to complexity of the diagnosis, some times, the experts provide an incorrect diagnosis about this cancer. Therefore, proposing a computer-aided system, not as an independent system, but as an auxiliary tool along with the physicians, can help them in more accurate detection of this kind of cancer. This study introduced an optimal and efficient computer-assisted system for skin cancer analysis. Here, deep training and metaheuristic techniques are used for this purpose. The main idea is to provide a Deep Belief Network (DBN), based on an improved metaheuristic technique, called Modified Electromagnetic Field Optimization Algorithm (MEFOA) to provide a strong diagnosis system for the images of skin cancer. The function of the proposed method is proved through a comparison between its results and some other related works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Divyagiri Seshagiri is an employee of Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland. None. Despite current lipid-lowering treatments (LLT), patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) do not reach the current guidelines recommended LDL-C goal. To describe the clinical characteristics of patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with hypercholesterolemia (ASCVD-H) and familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in the United States (US). This retrospective non-interventional study included patients from Optum's de-identified Clinformatics Data Mart database (2007-2019) in the US. Hypercholesterolemia was defined if patients had a recorded diagnosis, were prescribed LLT or had LDL-C levels of ≥70 mg/dL for ASCVD or ≥100mg/dL for FH, anytime within 6 months before and 3 months after index date. Index date was first ASCVD encounter or FH diagnosis during the identification period (1/07/2015-31/12/2018). 1,817,577 patients with ASCVD-H (50% females) and 66,277 patients with FH (53.6% females) with a mean (SD) age of 71 (11) years and 63 (18) years, respectively, were included. Use of statins was reported in 60% (ASCVD-H) and 49% (FH) patients at index, while 38% (ASCVD-H) and 48% (FH) patients received no LLT at index. Only 39% (ASCVD-H) and 43% (FH) patients receiving statins had LDL-C measurements within 6 months before and 3 months after index date. Higher proportion of male patients had controlled LDL-C levels than female patients across both cohorts (Table 1). About 60% of ASCVD-H and FH patients did not have LDL-C measurements. More than one third of ASCVD-H patients and almost half of FH patients received no LLT. A substantial proportion of patients remain uncontrolled with LDL-C levels ≥70 mg/dL despite receiving LLT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R.L. is an employee of Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland. None. There is currently little real-world research examining lipid-lowering treatments (LLT) treatment patterns in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) patients, and the associated change in LDL-C lab results. To describe the real-world treatment patterns and LDL-C outcomes in ASCVD patients with hypercholesterolemia (ASCVD-H) and patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in the United States (US). Patients were identified from Optum's de-identified Clinformatics Data Mart database (2007-2019) in the US. Hypercholesterolemia was defined if patients had a recorded diagnosis, were prescribed LLT or had LDL-C levels of ≥70 mg/dL for ASCVD-H and ≥100mg/dL FH, anytime within 6 months before and 3 months after index date. Patients had to have ≥1 year follow-up after index date for the persistence and adherence analysis. Index date was first ASCVD encounter or FH diagnosis during the identification period (1/07/2015-31/12/2018). 1,424,893 patients with ASCVD-H (50% females) and 47,268 patients with FH (54% females) with a mean (SD) age of 72 (11) years and 64 (17) years, respectively, were included. At index date, statins monotherapy was the most commonly prescribed LLTs reported in 64% (ASCVD-H) and 51% (FH) patients. In patients with uncontrolled LDL-C (≥70mg/dL) and ASCVD-H or FH, 52.4% or 41.1% were receiving statins monotherapy while 38.5% or 48.9% respectively were not receiving any LLT. Out of 29,353 ASCVD-H patients receiving statins combinations with any drug, 18,372 (63%) were still uncontrolled despite 78.5% patients being adherent. This data suggests low uptake of non-statins LLTs. Still 77% of ASCVD-H and 51% of FH patients remain with uncontrolled LDL-C, regardless of treatment received. Increased adherence only showed a small reduction in the proportion of patients with uncontrolled LDL-C suggesting an unmet need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to heavy elements is considered one of the risks of hearing loss. The combined effect of multiple metals on different hearing losses has not been extensively studied. This study deals with the association between different metals (Ba, Cd, Co, Cs, Mo, Pb, Mn, Sn, Sb, Tl, W) and hearing loss in the 2013–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Associations were estimated by a generalized linear regression model (GLM) adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, educational level, marital status, drinking status, hypertension, diabetes, smoking status, noise exposure, body mass index, and income-poverty ratio. The joint effects of mixed exposure were assessed by weighted quantile sum (WQS) model and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). The effect of multiple metals on speech-frequency hearing loss (SFHL) and high-frequency hearing loss (HFHL) was further calculated. The odds ratio (OR) indicates the risk of every metal exposure. A total of 2205 adult participants were enrolled from NHANES. Cd, Pb, Sb and Sn had significant effects on total hearing loss. The WQS model found that mixed exposure to heavy elements was significantly positively associated with total hearing loss (OR: 1.136; 95% CI: 1.031, 1.253) after adjusting for various covariates. The ORs of mixed exposure in the SFHL and HFHL groups were 1.066 (95% CI: 0.994, 1.143) and 1.102 (95% CI: 1.013, 1.199), respectively. BKMR found a significant positive association between multiple metals and hearing loss. The results showed that there may be potential interactions between Cd, Pb and other metals. Multiple metals have joint effects on hearing loss in the United States. The findings provide practitioners with important scientific evidence for possible interventions. • This is the first study to analyze the joint effect of multiple metals on hearing loss. • BKMR found a significant positive association between mixed exposure and hearing loss. • There may be potential interactions between Cd, Pb and other metals on hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impact of state anti-predatory lending laws on the foreclosure crisis in America as of December 2011, focusing on an examination of various state subprime mortgage regulations and mortgage lending policies. The risks associated with adjustable-rate mortgage loans are addressed, along with an assessment of mortgage default rates in the U.S. The impact of state mortgage regulations on nationally-chartered banks is also mentioned.

Purpose: We determined the soluble B7-H3 level and its clinical significance in serum and expressed prostatic secretions of patients with chronic prostatitis, including chronic bacterial prostatitis (type II) and chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Materials and Methods: Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay we measured soluble B7-H3 in 11 patients with chronic prostatitis (type II), and 26 with inflammatory (type IIIA) and 54 with noninflammatory (type IIIB) chronic pelvic pain syndrome, and healthy donors. We assessed differences between these groups using Student''s t test. As determined by the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index, we correlated soluble B7-H3 with clinical pain using the Pearson test. Results: We found no significant difference between serum soluble B7-H3 in healthy donors and patients with chronic prostatitis (p = 0.897). However, soluble B7-H3 in expressed prostatic secretions was statistically significantly decreased in patients with chronic prostatitis vs controls (p <0.001). ROC using soluble B7-H3 greater than 38.82 ng/ml in expressed prostatic secretions distinguished patients with chronic prostatitis from healthy donors with 90.9% sensitivity and 83.5% specificity. Also, soluble B7-H3 levels in expressed prostatic secretions correlated negatively with the Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index and the pain subscore. Compared to the pretreatment level soluble B7-H3 in expressed prostatic secretions was significantly increased in patients with a greater than 25% decrease in the Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index total score (p = 0.016). Conclusions: Data indicate that the soluble B7-H3 level in expressed prostatic secretions is a novel chronic prostatitis marker that correlates negatively with subjective symptoms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The high-altitude meteorological data on the 27km resolution, with 149×149 grids in the whole country, are generated by application of mesoscale numerical model MM5. The raw data used by the model include the United States USGS data, including terrain, land use, the composition of the vegetation data, and so on. Original meteorological data are the reanalysis data of the US National Centers for Environmental Prediction of the NCEP/NCAR. According to the need of environment impact assessment (EIA), the high-altitude meteorological data contain 21 layers below 550 hPa height. The data mainly include atmospheric pressure, altitude, dry bulb temperature, dew point temperature, wind direction, wind speed, relative humidity. High-altitude meteorological data generated in this study, can be directly applied to the EIA prediction model and serve for EIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 has continued to spread in the United States and globally. Closely monitoring public engagement and perceptions of COVID-19 and preventive measures using social media data could provide important information for understanding the progress of current interventions and planning future programs.Objective: The aim of this study is to measure the public's behaviors and perceptions regarding COVID-19 and its effects on daily life during 5 months of the pandemic.Methods: Natural language processing (NLP) algorithms were used to identify COVID-19-related and unrelated topics in over 300 million online data sources from June 15 to November 15, 2020. Posts in the sample were geotagged by NetBase, a third-party data provider, and sensitivity and positive predictive value were both calculated to validate the classification of posts. Each post may have included discussion of multiple topics. The prevalence of discussion regarding these topics was measured over this time period and compared to daily case rates in the United States.Results: The final sample size included 9,065,733 posts, 70% of which were sourced from the United States. In October and November, discussion including mentions of COVID-19 and related health behaviors did not increase as it had from June to September, despite an increase in COVID-19 daily cases in the United States beginning in October. Additionally, discussion was more focused on daily life topics (n=6,210,255, 69%), compared with COVID-19 in general (n=3,390,139, 37%) and COVID-19 public health measures (n=1,836,200, 20%).Conclusions: There was a decline in COVID-19-related social media discussion sourced mainly from the United States, even as COVID-19 cases in the United States increased to the highest rate since the beginning of the pandemic. Targeted public health messaging may be needed to ensure engagement in public health prevention measures as global vaccination efforts continue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report describes surveillance systems used for assessing influenza vaccination coverage among pregnant women in the United States. Coverage estimates and factors associated with maternal vaccination are reviewed for internet panel surveys of pregnant women and the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS); new estimates are reported from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and Internet panel surveys. Influenza vaccination coverage among pregnant women improved from 11% during the 2001-2002 influenza season to approximately 38% measured by BRFSS and 50% measured by Internet panel surveys during the 2010-2011 influenza season. Coverage varied by state, ranging from 26% to 68% among the states participating in PRAMS in 2009-2010. Provider recommendation increased a woman''s likelihood of vaccination nearly 6-fold. Despite increases in influenza vaccination coverage among pregnant women, approximately half remain unvaccinated. Continued efforts are needed to ensure pregnant women receive recommendations and offers of vaccination from their health care providers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article offers information on the Kaleidoscope Leadership Institute. It was formed to address the needs of minority women and inspire, develop and validate their leadership potentials. It was first offered in Minnesota in October 1991 when Carolyn Desjardin was able to secure financing for the initiative after she realized that a leadership workshop would not suffice to their needs.

Objective: The objective of the study was to identify angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor prescription-filling trends in pregnant women. Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study in women continuously enrolled in Tennessee Medicaid during pregnancy who delivered a live infant or had a fetal death between 1986-2003 (n = 262,179). Results: ACE inhibitor exposures increased more than 4-fold: from 11.2 per 10,000 pregnancies in 1986-1988 to 58.9 per 10,000 pregnancies by 2003 (adjusted risk ratio [RR], 4.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.78-7.25). Exposures in the second and third trimesters nearly tripled (RR, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.45-5.75) and did not decrease following a US Food and Drug Administration black box warning against such use in 1992. Exposures were most common among women 35 years of age or older. Conclusion: Despite evidence of fetal complications associated with ACE inhibitor use during pregnancy, the number of pregnant women with pregnancy-related ACE inhibitor exposures increased steadily between 1986-2003. Better methods are needed to reduce fetal exposure to potentially teratogenic prescribed medications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The correlation between oxidative stress and female infertility pathogenesis was established, and the oxidative balance score (OBS) can serve as a measure of overall oxidative stress burden within an individual. Prior reports have not addressed the relationship between OBS and female infertility. This study endeavors to investigate the association between infertility risk in female and OBS., Methods: The analysis focused on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2018. OBS was determined from 16 dietary components and 4 lifestyle components. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to investigate the relationship between OBS and female infertility. Further stratified analysis was conducted to examine the associations across various subgroups. To elucidate the dose-response relationship between infertility risk in female and OBS, a restricted cubic spline function was employed., Results: The study included a total of 1410 participants. Through weighted multivariable logistic regression analysis, we observed a consistent inverse correlation between OBS and the risk of female infertility [OR (95% CI) = 0.97 (0.95, 0.99), p = 0.047]. When participants were segregated into quartiles based on OBS, those in the highest quartile had a 61% [OR (95% CI) = 0.39 (0.2, 0.79), p = 0.01] reduced risk of infertility compared to those in the lowest quartile of OBS. A trend test assessing OBS by quartile also revealed the relationship between OBS and female infertility. This correlation remained constant across both dietary and lifestyle OBS. Additionally, lifestyle OBS and female infertility exhibited a nonlinear association. A sensitivity analysis verified the consistency of our findings., Conclusion: The study found that a higher OBS is associated with a lower prevalence of female infertility. These results emphasized the potential role of oxidative homeostasis in the pathogenesis of infertility and highlighted the importance of follow-up studies and prevention strategies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Su, Ding, Su, Li, Li, Li, Lao and Wang.)

Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a chronic and relapsing condition characterized by the misuse of opioid drugs, causing significant morbidity and mortality in the United States. Existing medications for OUD are limited, and there is an immediate need to discover treatments with enhanced safety and efficacy. Drug repurposing aims to find new indications for existing medications, offering a time-saving and cost-efficient alternative strategy to traditional drug discovery. Computational approaches have been developed to further facilitate the drug repurposing process. In this paper, we reviewed state-of-the-art data-driven computational drug repurposing approaches for OUD and discussed their advantages and potential challenges. We also highlighted promising repurposed candidate drugs for OUD that were identified by computational drug repurposing techniques and reviewed studies supporting their potential mechanisms of action in treating OUD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Recent terrorist attacks by first- and second-generation immigrants in the United States and Europe indicate that radicalization may result from the failure of ethnic integration-or the rise of intergroup prejudice in communities where "home-grown" extremists are raised. Yet, these community-level drivers are notoriously difficult to study because public opinion surveys provide biased measures of both prejudice and radicalization. We examine the relationship between anti-Muslim and pro-ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) Internet searches in 3099 U.S. counties between 2014 and 2016 using instrumental variable models that control for various community-level factors associated with radicalization. We find that anti-Muslim searches are strongly associated with pro-ISIS searches-particularly in communities with high levels of poverty and ethnic homogeneity. Although more research is needed to verify the causal nature of this relationship, this finding suggests that minority groups may be more susceptible to radicalization if they experience discrimination in settings where they are isolated and therefore highly visible-or in communities where they compete with majority groups for limited financial resources. We evaluate the validity of our findings using several other data sources and discuss the implications of our findings for the study of terrorism and intergroup relations, as well as immigration and counterterrorism policies.