Research Association Research Articles

Coming Up…

The annual AMERSA Conference (Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance use and Addiction) will be held November 14‐16 in Chicago. For more information, go to https://amersa.org/

Urban-Rural Disparities in Community Participation after Spinal Cord Injury in Ontario.

Personal, social, and environmental factors may influence self-efficacy and social reintegration among people living with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D) in urban and rural areas. Novel data collection methods have the potential to characterize community participation (CP) in diverse settings. The objectives were (1) to describe and compare self-reported community participation (Reintegration to Normal Living Index (RNLI) and Moorong Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES)) levels of individuals with SCI/D living in urban or rural Ontario, Canada; and (2) to determine the accuracy of an artificial intelligence (AI) optical mark recognition tool for extracting data from CP surveys conducted among participants after transitioning from inpatient rehabilitation to home and residing in the community. We partnered with SCI Ontario staff to collect MSES and RNLI survey data from adults with motor complete (e.g., AIS A-B) and incomplete (AIS C-D) SCI/D living in urban or rural Ontario, Canada, between January and October 2022. The Rurality Index of Ontario (RIO) from the postal code determined urban or rural residency. Optical mark recognition (OMR) software was used for survey data extraction. A Research Associate validated the extracted survey responses. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and non-parametric statistics were used to describe the participants, their impairments, and their reported CP levels across urban and rural settings. Eighty-five individuals with SCI/D (mean age 53.7 years, 36.5% female) completed the survey. Most of the participants resided in major urban areas (69.4%) and had traumatic injuries (64.7%). The mean total MSES score for Ontarians with SCI/D was 87.96 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 84.45, 91.47), while the mean total RNLI score for the same individuals was 75.61 (95% CI: 71.85, 79.37). Among the MSES domains, the lowest score was observed in response to sexual satisfaction (mean: 4.012, 95% CI: 3.527, 4.497), while the lowest RNLI domain item score was associated with the ability to travel out of town (mean: 5.965, 95% CI: 5.252, 6.678). Individuals with incomplete injuries in rural areas reported lower MSES and RNLI scores than those with complete motor injuries, whereas no significant differences were found in MSES and RNLI scores among urban residents based on impairment. These findings suggest that, depending on the environmental context (e.g., rural vs. urban areas), AIS categories may influence the perception of CP among people living with SCI/D. The OMR tool had 97.4% accuracy in extracting data from the surveys. The CP (MSES and RNLI) scores reported by individuals with SCI/D differ based on their living setting. In rural Ontario, individuals with greater functional ability reported lower CP than their counterparts living in urban settings. Although CP remains a challenge, the needs of individuals with motor incomplete SCI/D and heterogeneous levels of mobility residing in rural areas require exploration and targeted interventions. The OMR tool facilitates accurate data extraction from surveys across settings.

INTERSECCIONALIDADE E ORGANIZAÇÕES: UMA ANÁLISE DAS PUBLICAÇÕES DOS ENCONTROS DA ASSOCIAÇÃO BRASILEIRA DE PÓS‐GRADUAÇÃO E PESQUISA EM ADMINISTRAÇÃO

AbstractThe aim of this research is to understand whether gender issues and their intersections have been incorporated into the production of knowledge coming from the meetings of the National Association of Graduate Studies and Research in Administration in Brazil (ANPAD) over the years. A literature review of papers published in the proceedings of ANPAD Meetings (EnANPAD) between 1997 and 2021 was conducted to identify the presence of the thematic axes: gender, sexuality, class, and race. Titles and abstracts of 21,057 papers were analyzed. Were classified 682 papers, in at least one of the axes. The analysis presents quantitative data that shows the volume of scientific work per thematic axis. In addition, the qualitative analysis of the texts identified as intersectional was carried out. The results showed that intersectionality is still not very present in the research presented at EnANPAD, evidencing a weak connection with the social and economic structural context of the country. However, a growing movement, albeit slow, was noted from 2005. The theoretical contribution of this study consists in highlighting an overview of intersectionality in the field of studies in Administration in Brazil. This study can guide future research agendas and Graduation Policies.

Coming Up…

The annual AMERSA Conference (Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance use and Addiction) will be held November 14‐16 in Chicago. For more information, go to https://amersa.org/

Do Swedish rock-climbers exhibit more eating disorder and body dissatisfaction symptoms than non-climbers? A cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThe inclusion of rock-climbing in the Olympic Games has increased participation in the sport and attention to athletes' health. In sports where the importance of low body weight is considerate,...

Temporomandibular disorders: INfORM/IADR key points for good clinical practice based on standard of care

ABSTRACT Objective To present a list of key points for good Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs) clinical practice on behalf of the International Network for Orofacial Pain and Related Disorders Methodology (INfORM) group of the International Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research (IADR). Methods An open working group discussion was held at the IADR General Session in New Orleans (March 2024), where members of the INfORM group finalized the proposal of a list of 10 key points. Results The key points covered knowledge on the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. They represent a summary of the current standard of care for management of TMD patients. They are in line with the current need to assist general dental practitioners advance their understanding and prevent inappropriate treatment. Conclusions The key points can be viewed as a guiding template for other national and international associations to prepare guidelines and recommendations on management of TMDs adapted to the different cultural, social, educational, and healthcare requirements.

Translating restrictive law into practice: An ethnographic exploration of the systemic processing of legally restricted health care access for asylum seekers in Germany

BackgroundAccess to health services for asylum seekers is legally restricted in Germany. The law is subject to interpretation, therefore the chance of receiving care is not equally distributed among asylum seekers. What services are provided to whom is ultimately decided by health professionals and government employees. The respective prioritization processes and criteria are not transparent. We sought to understand how legal restrictions are translated into daily practices and how this affects the health system. We aimed to outline the complex process of cost coverage for health services for asylum seekers and provide insights into common decision-making criteria.MethodsWe conducted an ethnographic exploration of routines in two outpatient clinics in two federal states over the course of three months, doing participant and non-participant observation. Additionally, we interviewed 21 professionals of health care and government organizations, and documented 110 applications for cost coverage of medical services and their outcome. In addition to qualitative data analysis and documentation, we apply a system-theoretical perspective to our findings.ResultsTo perform legal restrictions a cross-sectoral prioritization process of medical services has been implemented, involving health care and government institutions. This changes professional practices, responsibilities and (power) relations. Involved actors find themselves at the intersection of several, oftentimes conflicting priorities, since “doing it right” might be seen differently from a legal, medical, economic, or political perspective. The system-theoretical analysis reveals that while actors have to bring different rationales into workable arrangements this part of the medical system transforms, giving rise to a sub-system that incorporates migration political rationales.ConclusionsHealth care restrictions for asylum seekers are implemented through an organizational linking of care provision and government administration, resulting in a bureaucratization of practice. Power structures at this intersection of health and migration policy, that are uncommon in other parts of the health system are thereby normalized. Outpatient clinics provide low-threshold access to health services, but paradoxically they may unintentionally stabilize health inequities, if prioritization criteria and power dynamics are not made transparent. Health professionals should openly reflect on conflicting rationales. Training, research and professional associations need to empower them to stay true to professional ethical principles and international conventions.

The Numerically Leveled Performance Assessment Framework (NLPAF): A Literature-Based Evaluation of Acceptability

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to present a literature-based, initial “evaluation of acceptability” (American Educational Research Association et al., 2014, p. 7) of the Numerically Leveled Performance Assessment Framework (NLPAF). Its results enable confidence in continuing its use in the authors’ professional development work and in making it available to professional developers and researchers. The authors developed the NLPAF to guide elementary mathematics teachers enrolled in a professional development program in constructing performance assessments they then administer up to three times annually to their students. These assessments measure growth across time in mathematical proficiency relating to the domain of whole number operations most prominent in the curriculum standards for the grade level taught. Numerically leveled refers to the process teachers learn and apply to estimate the size and numerical complexity of computations to be used in designing performance tasks for their students’ unique levels.

Characteristics of risk factors and molecular genetic parameters in children with chronic kidney disease

Introduction. Information about the health status of children with nephrological pathology includes many manifestations of functional system disorders. However, early diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rarely carried out due to the lack of reliable predictors of this process.The aim: To analyze the association of anamnestic signs, laboratory and genetic research results with chronic kidney disease in children to identify potential predictors of the disease.Material and Methods. The data were obtained from a single-center retrospective catamnestic cohort study (2011–2022). The main group included 128 children with chronic kidney disease aged 1 to 17 years. The comparison group consisted of 30 children without diagnosed kidney pathology aged from 1 to 17 years. There were no statistically significant differences in sex and age between the two groups. The informative value of more than 150 features, including anamnestic ones, the state of the mother’s health during pregnancy, antenatal and perinatal factors, features of the child’s development and manifestation of the disease, the results of clinical, laboratory, and genetic research methods were evaluated. An integrated approach to the study included methods for hypotheses testing on statistical significance of indicators differences, regression analysis, and ROC analysis.Results. Hereditary burden of nephrological pathology in the family, unfavorable course of pregnancy (anemia, toxicosis of the first half), obstetric and somatic pathology in the mother, the serial number of childbirth are associated with the subsequent development of CKD. Erythrocytes in the urine and daily protein loss were detected only in the group of children with CKD. In this group, a decrease in the number of red blood cells, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), allergies at an early age, otitis media, persistent viral and bacterial infections, and a number of signs of connective tissue dysplasia were more common. The main group statistically significantly differed from the comparison group by a number of polymorphic genetic markers. It can be assumed that the polymorphisms AGT1 Thr174Thr, AGT2 Thr235Thr, NO3 C786T are associated with a predisposition to CKD, and the products of polymorphisms AGT1 Thr174Met, AGT2 Met235Met, R1 AGT2 C1166C, NO3 T786T may have a protective effect according to development of CKD.Conclusion. The risk factors for CKD identified in this study can be used to develop software to support medical decision making for early detection of children at high risk of disease progression.

Composition and Quality of Honey Bee Feed: The Methodology and Monitoring of Candy Boards.

The nutritional status of a honey bee colony is recognized as a key factor in ensuring a healthy hive. A deficient flow of nectar and pollen in the honey bee colony immediately affects its development, making room for pathogen proliferation and, consequently, for a reduction in the activities and strength of the colony. It is, therefore, urgent for the beekeepers to use more food supplements and/or substitutes in apiary management, allowing them to address colony nutritional imbalances according to the beekeeper's desired results. In this context, the commercial market for beekeeping products is growing rapidly due to low regulation of animal food products and the beekeeper's willingness to guarantee healthy colonies. There are numerous products (bee food additives) currently available on the worldwide market, with a highly variable and sometimes even undefined composition, claiming a set of actions at the level of brood stimulation, energy supplementation, queen rearing support, reduction of Varroa reproduction levels, improvement of the intestinal microflora of bees, Nosema prevention, and improvement of the health of honey bee colonies infested by American foulbrood, among others. To address this issue, the members of the COLOSS (Honey Bee Research Association) NUTRITION Task Force are proposing, for the first time, action on honey bee feed control and monitoring. In our common study, we focused on candy board composition and quality parameters. For that, a selected number of commercial candy boards usually found in Europe were analyzed in terms of water and ash content, pH, acidity, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, sugars, C3-C4 sugar origin, and texture. Results revealed differences between the values found and the ones displayed on the label, demonstrating the need for regulation of the quality of these products.

Peer Review Statement

All papers published in this volume have been reviewed through processes administered by the Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing. • Type of peer review: Double Anonymous • Conference submission management system: Morressier • Number of submissions received: 48 • Number of submissions sent for review: 48 • Number of submissions accepted: 25 • Acceptance Rate (Submissions Accepted / Submissions Received × 100): 52.1 • Average number of reviews per paper: 2 • Total number of reviewers involved: 12 • Contact person for queries: Name: Fengxin Cen Email: alan.cen@gsrassn.org Affiliation: Global Scientific Research Association

The Pursuit of Doctoral Studies in an African Context

This paper discusses the pursuit of doctoral studies in an African context. Doctoral studies are not a new development worldwide. It has been reported that the first conferred doctoral degree was at the University of Paris. This paper examines the situation of doctoral studies in Africa, the role of doctoral students, the role of supervisors, doctoral studies across the globe, and the challenges facing doctoral students in Africa. This paper reveals that the role of a doctoral student is planning research, scheduling meetings, searching for literature, carrying out the research, drafting the thesis preparation, proofreading the thesis, writing the final thesis, submitting the final thesis, defending the final thesis, publishing the final thesis, and communicating the findings in the form of publications. The situation of doctoral studies in Africa, the role of supervisors, doctoral studies across the globe, and the challenges facing doctoral students in Africa have been discussed. It is recommended that the research work should be collaborative to enhance sharing of ideas and knowledge, involvement in presentations at seminars, participating in conferences/workshops, commitment to a research plan, and if possible joining research associations or groups. In this article recommendations for the quality doctoral programs in Africa have been provided. The conclusion states that the effort and input of supervisors also play a critical role in the quality of doctoral students who are turned out at any point in time. So, the future of research in the African context needs special attention regarding the role of role of doctoral candidates, supervisors and the government itself.

Development of Best Practice Guideline for the management of hot holes in surface coal mines

Surface coal operations in which mining activities are conducted above old underground workings experience hot holes after drilling. In a coal mine, hot holes are defined as shot holes, which after being drilled have an in-hole ambient temperature of 40°C or above or show a temperature increase of 3°C or more during monitoring. Hot holes and other cavities, such as cracks, pose health and safety risks to workers, such as exposure to hot air and high concentrations of noxious gases released from these holes. In addition, workers may be exposed to premature detonation of explosives caused by in-hole temperature increases and chemical reactions. To this end, Coaltech Research Association commissioned a project to develop a Best Practice Guideline for the management of hot holes. This paper is a compilation of the activities conducted in the development of the Best Practice Guideline between 2021 and 2022. The activities included a review of standard operating procedures and hot-hole temperature-measuring and -monitoring devices, and the assessment of current hot-hole procedures at selected mines. The results indicated that management of hot holes requires a focus on pre-emptive risk assessment of mining blocks, identification of hot holes using the correct temperature-measuring devices, and continuous monitoring of hot holes from the time of drilling until just before blasting. Hot-hole management accessories, such as polyvinyl chloride sleeves, were found to be effective in insulating the hot-hole emulsion from the rock mass temperature, thus preventing the potential for premature detonation.

Measuring Theory of Mind: a preliminary analysis of a novel linguistically simple and tablet-based measure for children

This study introduces a novel linguistically simple, tablet-based, behavioral Theory of Mind (ToM) measure, designed for neurotypical (NT) and autistic children aged 4–10 years. A synthesis of five comprehensive reviews of existing ToM measures revealed significant gaps in their designs; the weaknesses include a mismatch between the operational and conceptual definition of ToM, high verbal demands in most measures, materials that are minimally interesting for children, and often a lack of psychometric evaluations. These findings call into question the suitability of most of the currently available ToM measures used in children, both with and without developmental disorders, such as children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For example, the assessment of ToM in children with ASD may require reduced reliance on complex language or social interaction that can be part of the diagnostic criteria of the condition. This newly designed ToM measure, developed in line with the “Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing” of the American Educational Research Association, is linguistically simple, tablet-based, suitable for children with ASD, and is available in English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish. With a sample of 234 participants, including 152 NT children and 82 children with ASD between 4 and 10 years of age, the new ToM measure's psychometric properties were preliminarily evaluated. Descriptive statistics, measures of internal consistency, inter-item correlation, and validity checks were conducted in both groups. Further inspections of the measure's scale- and item-level characteristics were conducted with the help of exploratory factor analyses (EFA), and item response theory (IRT) within the NT children's group. These preliminary evaluations suggest that the newly developed ToM measure possesses good psychometric properties and is both accessible and engaging for children. Further investigation with a larger group of participants is necessary to reinforce these initial results. This will allow item- and scale-level assessments within a wider range of autistic children. For this purpose, the task will be made freely available to the scientific community.

Opening the Black Box: Editorial to the “Culture and Leadership in Slavic Nations” Special Issue in the Cross-Cultural Research Journal

This Special Issue is an installment of the series of studies carried out by the Centre for Cross Cultural Comparisons ([ https://crossculturalcentre.homestead.com/ ]( https://crossculturalcentre.homestead.com/ )), an international voluntary association of researchers, students and practitioners interested in the global study of culture and leadership. This Consortium investigates the relationships among preferred leader behavior dimensions and societal cultural values of employed businesspeople across the globe, with the intent of improving managerial leadership practice in businesses.

Abstract C171: Identifying cancer driver mutation signatures in lung adenocarcinoma from Black/African American individuals: Addressing cancer health disparities

Abstract Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally and continues to contribute significantly to cancer health disparities. Black/African American (B/AA) men exhibit a higher risk of lung cancer compared to White men; B/AA individuals also exhibit lower 5-year survival and stage-specific survival rates than White subjects. Biological factors, including genetic differences in cancer driver mutation, may influence this disparity. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common histological subtype of lung cancer across all ethnic groups, including B/AA individuals. Our study aims to characterize the main driver and co-mutation signatures of LUAD in B/AA individuals, who are significantly underrepresented in current mutational studies. We hypothesize that B/AA individuals will have a unique repertoire of cancer driver genes, which could contribute to genetic differences and response to targeted therapies compared to LUAD of White subjects. We are obtaining 100 de-identified archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) LUAD samples from B/AA subjects from cancer registries in Florida and California. Extraction of DNA from the FFPE samples is in progress, and samples have been sent for whole exome sequencing (WES) and ancestry determination. This data will then be analyzed and compared with known LUAD mutation profiles from other ethnicities. Identification of cancer driver mutations will then inform the development of in vitro models for therapeutic testing. To date, the limited information on cancer driver genes in LUAD from B/AA subjects suggests that KRAS is the most common cancer driver gene, just like in LUAD from White subjects, and is found in ∼34% of cases. Therefore, we anticipate identifying KRAS mutations similar to this proportion based on the collection of previously published literature analyses. One key goal of this study is to obtain more information about the exact spectrum of KRAS mutations in LUAD from B/AA subjects. In addition, our work may unveil new variants of known cancer driver mutations such as KRAS, EGFR, BRAF, etc., and finally, “new” driver genes. Our efforts will address critical gaps in the understanding of lung cancer driver genes, a key step to developing personalized treatment of lung cancer and mitigating cancer health disparities between B/AA and White individuals. Supported by grants U54CA233396, U54CA233444, and U54CA233465 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center core grant, award number P30CA014089 from the NIH/NCI, and by the Undergraduate Research Associates Program supported by the USC Provost. Citation Format: Davin Pan, Daniel J. Mullen, Colton Stensrud, Jose Aparicio, Christina M. Gobin, Sofia Lugo, Kweku Ofosu-Asante, Justin K. Mensah-Mamfo, Kyle R Phillips, Yong Huang, Nazarius S. Lamango, William D Wallace, Suhn K Rhie, Kristinanna M. Fredenburg, Ite A. Offringa. Identifying cancer driver mutation signatures in lung adenocarcinoma from Black/African American individuals: Addressing cancer health disparities [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr C171.

Abstract C167: Understanding the effect of single nucleotide polymorphism rs2292596 on the interaction of aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor and aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator

Abstract Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in America. Additionally, the incident rates among Black/African American (B/AA) men and women are significantly higher than those of their white counterparts, despite B/AA’s lower exposure to cigarette smoke (Berg et al, 2010. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Vol. 332, p202). One factor that may increase the risk of lung adenocarcinoma in B/AA individuals is a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) found in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor (AHRR) gene. To date, this SNP has been poorly studied, particularly in B/AA individuals. As its name suggests, AHRR represses the detoxification of tobacco smoke induced by aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Upon exposure to tobacco smoke, AHR enters the nucleus where it dimerizes with aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) and binds to xenobiotic response elements (XREs), thereby inducing the genes mediating the detoxification process. Simultaneously, AHRR is turned on as part of a negative feedback loop. AHRR down-regulates the detoxification process by binding to ARNT, forming a negative regulatory complex that binds to XREs. Within the region of AHRR that encodes for the ARNT interaction domain, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is found in exon 6. SNP rs2292596 encodes a proline or alanine, with 63% of the White subjects having proline while 89% of the B/AA subjects have proline (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Database, NCBI). As proline is a turn-inducing amino acid, this change, residing in one of the AHRR loops that encircles ARNT, may affect the kinetics of AHRR/ARNT complex association and/or dissociation, thereby potentially affecting the regulatory balance of detoxification. We are currently synthesizing recombinant AHRR protein containing the two different amino acids, along with ARNT. To assess how these changes in the amino acid sequence affect the interaction of AHRR and ARNT, we will measure the association and dissociation rates using a SwitchSense DRX2 instrument. If the SNP affects the kinetics of AHRR/ARNT heterodimer formation, it may affect detoxification and thereby lung cancer risk. If so, in the future the accuracy of lung cancer detection may be improved by increased screening for individuals carrying the risk allele. Furthermore, if the presence of the risk allele implicates a higher risk for lung cancer, this may strengthen lung cancer prevention within the B/AA community. Funding: This research is supported by R21CA290319 from National Institute of Health (NIH)/National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center core grant, award number P30CA014089 from the NIH/NCI, and by the Undergraduate Research Associates Program supported by the USC Provost. Citation Format: Shiori Fukutome, Matthew A. Gladstone, Chunli Yan, Diego A. Velarde, Nicholas Mancuso, Ite Offringa. Understanding the effect of single nucleotide polymorphism rs2292596 on the interaction of aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor and aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr C167.

Epidemiology and Genetic Architecture of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Geographically Different Indian Populations: A Review

Abstract: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) has been a severe public health issue worldwide for many years. The primary cause and risk factor of T2DM is hereditary and complicated interaction between epigenetics. Identification and understanding of genetic markers may help to detect, prevent, and manage T2DM. This review examined the effect of single-gene and gene-gene interactions for predicting diabetes mellitus. Based on the literature survey, common and unique Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and genes were explored in the Indian Populations, including PPARG, TCF7L2, KCNJ11, CDKN2A, IGF2BP2, SLC30A8, HHEX and CDKAL1. Identifying common and specific markers may help in risk prediction and early detection of T2DM. Future research and Genome-wide association studies are also required to predict the gene-gene interaction, generate large data sets for removing non-representative groups, and focus only on specific marker-associated traits.

A Mentoring Network for Diversity in Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research.

The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) has developed a national and sustainable mentoring and mentor training network titled AADOCR Mentoring an Inclusive Network for a Diverse Workforce of the Future (AADOCR MIND the Future). This program is instrumental in fostering a diverse group of early-career investigators in dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) research. The network's principal purpose has been to establish a robust and enduring national mentoring program centrally managed by AADOCR. The overarching goal is to develop a sustainable, nationally recognized mentoring network that enhances the career development of early-career DOC researchers from diverse backgrounds. The program aligns with the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Strategic Plan and aims to cultivate a robust pipeline of future DOC researchers who can address critical scientific challenges. AADOCR MIND the Future guides mentors and mentees in individual career development as well as improving the quality of mentoring at the home institution through dissemination of lessons learned by mentors and mentees in the program. As science practices have evolved, investigators have moved from isolated individual projects to interactive multidisciplinary teams. Within this research framework, AADOCR MIND the Future offers the global infrastructure and the variety of scientists/AADOCR members. While most institutional mentoring efforts have been developed using conventional single mentor-mentee pairs, the AADOCR MIND the Future program supplements this model with additional group mentoring (mentors-mentees) and peer mentoring (interactions between just the mentees). Mentees commit to 12 mo of programming devoted to enhancing research career development through intensive hands-on work, distance-learning components, and engagement in a mentored grant-writing experience. Mentees are strongly encouraged to remain engaged with the program beyond the initial 12-mo period. Years 1 to 3 alumni (cohorts 1 to 3) mentees continue to participate in a meaningful way, and after the completion of the program, it is envisioned these alumni will become mentors for another generation.

Navigating Opportunities for Middle Level Education Research: The MLER SIG Research Agenda

In 2016, the Middle Level Education Research Special Interest Group (MLER SIG) of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) published The MLER SIG Research Agenda, a white paper identifying critical issues and concerns facing the field of middle level education. Since its release, much has changed. This manuscript is a revised version of The MLER SIG Research Agenda. More than 40 researchers from across the globe collaborated to develop an agenda for future middle level research that illuminates strategies for moving middle level education forward in support of young adolescents within the current state of affairs. The research summarized in this manuscript represents eight focus areas: (a) middle grades curriculum; (b) middle grades pedagogies; (c) middle level certification and licensure; (d) middle level leadership; (e) middle level schools, classrooms, culture, and learning environments; (f) middle level teacher development; (g) social and emotional wellbeing; and (h) young adolescent identity and experiences. Each group summarized the current literature in their area and developed a list of questions to guide future middle level education research. This manuscript is intended to start conversations, generate ideas for research projects, and contribute new knowledge to the field of middle level education.