Introduction to The Special Issue: Advances in Methods and Measurement in Family Psychology

This special issue presents a collection of reports that highlight recent advances in methods and measurement and also shed light on the complexity of family psychology. The importance of theory in guiding solid family science is evident throughout these reports. The reports include guides for researchers who incorporate direct observation into their research protocols and the ever-expanding field of tele-health interventions. Advanced analytic approaches are offered in the areas of grid sequence analysis, latent fixed-effects models, and the Factors of Curves Model (FOCUS). These sophisticated analytic approaches may be applied to advance systemic thinking in family psychology. The last set of articles illustrate how complex and innovative methodologies are applied to address important societal issues. Work experiences and marital relationships in African American couples address the importance of spillover effects in contemporary families. The creation of biobehavioral plasticity index has the potential to inform gene x environment contributions to family functioning. Finally, the unique methodological issues that are particularly germane to the diverse nature of stepfamilies and nonresident fathers are addressed. We hope that readers of this special issue will return to these reports as resources and examples of theory-driven methods and measurements

The Role of Teacher Education in Decolonizing Education in Canada's North : A Yukon Teacher Education Case Study

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Indeterminate Effects of Crisis Intervention Teams on Law Enforcement Officer Shootings of People with Mental Illnesses

After the 1987 police shooting of a mentally ill Memphis man, the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model was developed to train police officers to better respond to similar cases. However, decades later, little research exists on the effectiveness of CIT programs to address that issue. Given the recent increase in attention to police shootings and a high rate of police interactions with mentally ill people, it is important to determine the effectiveness of the CIT model through evidence-based research. This article presents an empirical analysis of the impact of CIT programs on fatal police shootings of mentally ill individuals. The findings of this paper align with the consensus of limited existing scholarship that the impact of CIT programs is not statistically significant; however, the findings differ by indicating a marginal increase in the probability of shootings occurring in locations with CIT programs rather than having a reductive effect

RAD54 family translocases counter genotoxic effects of RAD51 in human tumor cells.

The RAD54 family DNA translocases have several biochemical activities. One activity, demonstrated previously for the budding yeast translocases, is ATPase-dependent disruption of RAD51-dsDNA binding. This activity is thought to promote dissociation of RAD51 from heteroduplex DNA following strand exchange during homologous recombination. In addition, previous experiments in budding yeast have shown that the same activity of Rad54 removes Rad51 from undamaged sites on chromosomes; mutants lacking Rad54 accumulate nonrepair-associated complexes that can block growth and lead to chromosome loss. Here, we show that human RAD54 also promotes the dissociation of RAD51 from dsDNA and not ssDNA. We also show that translocase depletion in tumor cell lines leads to the accumulation of RAD51 on chromosomes, forming complexes that are not associated with markers of DNA damage. We further show that combined depletion of RAD54L and RAD54B and/or artificial induction of RAD51 overexpression blocks replication and promotes chromosome segregation defects. These results support a model in which RAD54L and RAD54B counteract genome-destabilizing effects of direct binding of RAD51 to dsDNA in human tumor cells. Thus, in addition to having genome-stabilizing DNA repair activity, human RAD51 has genome-destabilizing activity when expressed at high levels, as is the case in many human tumors

Vital Access: How Policymakers Can Streamline the Cancer Care Journey

Patients' odds of surviving blood cancer often hinge on their ability to access specialists who can evaluate, diagnose, and treat them with optimal treatments as quickly as possible. But too often, patients encounter roadblocks that prevent them from accessing the best care and, in some cases, benefiting from incredible advancements. Recent data reveal continued disparities in outcomes for minority populations in particular.Accessing medically necessary and high-quality blood cancer care in the United States is a process that remains overly complex and contingent on factors that are steeped in systemic, socioeconomic, and racial disparities. Numerous factors impact access, but a fragmented insurance system and similarly fragmented federal and state policies that set the rules for that insurance system are major contributors. Studies have noted the impact of narrow networks, which can restrict access to some specialty care providers such as hospitals designated as "cancer centers" or "comprehensive cancer centers" by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Narrow networks are increasingly common in commercial insurance plans in the individual and group markets and in Medicaid-managed care organizations (MCOs). Studies have also shown that cancer patients with certain types of insurance, such as Medicaid–which covers low-income people, a disproportionate share of whom are people of color–are more likely to experience worse mortality rates. These disparities in coverage and access contribute to significant inequities by income, race, ethnicity, and other factors.In the past three-plus decades, we have seen an explosion of new therapies, including immunotherapy (such as CAR T-cell) and other personalized medicine approaches that target therapies to an individual based on a range of phenotypic and genomic factors.The policy frameworks that govern insurance have not kept pace with advances in cancer treatment, and they continue to contribute to systemic inequities that prevent access to high-quality blood cancer care. Recent efforts by federal regulators to update access-related standards still fall short of ensuring equitable access to quality blood cancer care for all. And some elements of these frameworks have remained largely unchanged for decades. Meaning consumers still struggle to navigate their options when purchasing a plan and access medically appropriate treatment when a diagnosis is received.This report offers nine recommendations in five reform pathways for state and federal policymakers to consider, as they work toward developing insurance regulations that advance a more equitable system of care–one that enables patients with blood cancer to access appropriate treatment and that maximizes the potential for long-term survival. Each of these reform pathways addresses specific deficiencies in the current insurance policy frameworks, and each is critical to pursue in order to ensure a more equitable coverage landscape for patients and familie

Conversion of an intensified fed-batch to an integrated continuous bioprocess

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Cohomology of quantum groups: An analog of Kostant's Theorem

We prove the analog of Kostant's Theorem on Lie algebra cohomology in the context of quantum groups. We prove that Kostant's cohomology formula holds for quantum groups at a generic parameter $q$, recovering an earlier result of Malikov in the case where the underlying semisimple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g} = \mathfrak{sl}(n)$. We also show that Kostant's formula holds when $q$ is specialized to an $\ell$-th root of unity for odd $\ell \ge h-1$ (where $h$ is the Coxeter number of $\mathfrak{g}$) when the highest weight of the coefficient module lies in the lowest alcove. This can be regarded as an extension of results of Friedlander-Parshall and Polo-Tilouine on the cohomology of Lie algebras of reductive algebraic groups in prime characteristic.Comment: 12 page

Phenylethynyl Terminated Imide (PETI) Composites Made by High Temperature VARTM

Fabrication of composite structures using vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) is generally more affordable than conventional autoclave techniques. Recent efforts have focused on adapting VARTM for the fabrication of high temperature composites. Due to their low melt viscosity and long melt stability, certain phenylethynyl terminated imides (PETI) can be processed into composites using high temperature VARTM (HT-VARTM). However, one of the disadvantages of the current HT-VARTM resin systems has been the high porosity of the resultant composites. For aerospace applications, a void fraction of <2% is desired. In the current study, two PETI resins, LARC. PETI-330 and LARC. PETI-8 have been used to fabricate test specimens using HT-VARTM. The resins were infused into carbon fiber preforms at 260 C and cured between 316 and 371 C. Photomicrographs of the panels were taken and void contents were determined by acid digestion. Modifications to the thermal cycle used in the laminate fabrication have reduced the void content significantly; typically .3% for carbon fiber biaxially woven fabric and less than 2% for carbon fiber uniaxial fabric. Mechanical properties (short beam shear and flexure) of the panels were determined at both room and elevated temperatures. The results of this work are presented herein. This paper is declared a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States

Forty-Year Analysis of Colonoscopic Surveillance Program for Neoplasia in Ulcerative Colitis: An Updated Overview

C.R.C. was funded by the Derek Willoughby Fund for Inflammatory Research. A.L.H. and T.A.G. were funded by Higher Education Funding Council of England

Processing and Properties of Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molded Phenylethynyl Terminated Imide Composites

Polyimide composites are very attractive for applications that require a high strength to weight ratio and thermal stability. Recent work at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has concentrated on developing new polyimide resin systems that can be processed without the use of an autoclave for advanced aerospace applications. Due to their low melt viscosities and long melt stability, certain phenylethynyl terminated imides (PETI) can be processed into composites using high temperature vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (HT-VARTM). VARTM has shown the potential to reduce the manufacturing cost of composite structures. In the current study, two PETI resins, LARC(Trademark) PETI-330 and LARC(Trademark) PETI-9, were infused into carbon fiber preforms at 260 C and cured at temperatures up to 371 C. Photomicrographs of polished cross sections were taken and void contents, determined by acid digestion, were below 4.5%. Mechanical properties including short block compression (SBC), compression after impact (CAI), and open hole compression (OHC) were determined at room temperature, 177 C, and 288 C. Both PETI-9 and PETI-330 composites demonstrated very good retention of mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. SBC and OHC properties after aging for 1000 hours at temperatures up to 288 C were also determined