Assessing Growth of BACB Certificants (1999-2019).

Geographic distribution patterns of board certified behavior analysts may be useful in analyzing the growth of the field. First, we present an international snapshot of Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) certificants, then analyze relative growth rates between countries from 1999 to 2019. This is followed by an in depth review of certificant distribution patterns in the United States and Canada, as well as the ratios of experienced behavior analysts to new certificants. These data highlight regions with a potential deficit of qualified supervisors. There are factors that influence different dispersal patterns, and without drilling deeper into the data we may be unable to effectively identify or influence them in order meet the specific needs of a geographic region. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40614-023-00370-5.

Building a Social Justice Framework for Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in ABA.

ABA may be uniquely positioned to have broader impacts with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) client populations, not only due to its growth and increased social acceptability, but also because a segment of the field practices within the education system. Decades of misinformation have potentially reduced the widespread reliance on learning pedagogies derived from behavior analytic research. Disseminating ABA technologies depends on an advocacy-based approach to close gaps from research-to-practice. Social justice is both an approach and a framework that can be integrated into our strategic planning for the field. This article describes how to apply social justice guidelines when working with CLD students and families. There are culturally relevant considerations that can be included in our research, training, and service delivery, in particular if we want the field to grow in a sustainable fashion. Behavior analysts must consider it an ongoing long-term objective to engage in culturally informed assessment, culturally and linguistically relevant intervention, culturally focused advocacy and collaboration with families, and use self-assessment of their cultural competence.

Quantification of behavioral data with effect sizes and statistical significance tests.

This article describes the use of statistical significance tests and distance-based effect sizes with behavioral data from single case experimental designs (SCEDs). Such data often are interpreted only with visual analysis. However, a growing movement in the field is to quantify results to improve decision-making and communication across studies and sciences. The goal of the present study was to assess the agreement between visual analysis and various statistical tests. We recruited visual analysts to judge 160 pairwise data sets from published articles and compared these analyses to significance tests and effect sizes. One-tailed significance testing of Tau z and the percentage of pairwise differences in the predicted direction (PWD) generally agreed with each other, and complemented the effect sizes of Ratio of Distances (RD) and g. Visual analysis was somewhat unreliable and should be combined with statistical complements to maximize decision accuracy.

Reconsideration of the type I error rate for psychological science in the era of replication.

Careful consideration of the tradeoff between Type I and Type II error rates when designing experiments is critical for maximizing statistical decision accuracy. Typically, Type I error rates (e.g., .05) are significantly lower than Type II error rates (e.g., .20 for .80 power) in psychological science. Further, positive findings (true effects and Type I errors) are more likely to be the focus of replication. This conventional approach leads to very high rates of Type II error. Analyses show that increasing the Type I error rate to .10, thereby increasing power and decreasing the Type II error rate for each test, leads to higher overall rates of correct statistical decisions. This increase of Type I error rate is consistent with, and most beneficial in the context of, the replication and "New Statistics" movements in psychology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Statistical Decision-Making Accuracies for Some Overlap- and Distance-based Measures for Single-Case Experimental Designs.

Selecting a quantitative measure to guide decision making in single-case experimental designs (SCEDs) is complicated. Many measures exist and all have been rightly criticized. The two general classes of measure are overlap-based (e.g., percentage nonoverlapping data) and distance-based (e.g., Cohen's d). We compare several measures from each category for Type I error rate and power across a range of designs using equal numbers of observations (i.e., 3-10) in each phase. Results showed that Tau and the distance-based measures (i.e., RD and g) provided the highest decision accuracies. Other overlap-based measures (e.g., PND, dual-criterion method) did not perform as well. It is recommended that Tau be used to guide decision making about the presence/absence of a treatment effect, and RD or g be used to quantify the magnitude of the treatment effect. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40614-021-00317-8.

Weighing ependymoma as an epigenetic disease.

INTRODUCTION: Ependymoma is the third most common malignant pediatric brain tumor. Although the biology that drives ependymoma is slowly being unraveled, the ability to translate these findings to clinical care remains an ongoing challenge. Epigenetic alterations appear to play a central role in the development of molecular classification of ependymoma. METHODS: We reviewed the published literature available describing genetic and epigenetic underpinnings of ependymoma that have been reported to date and have summarized the information regarding genetic drivers of ependymoma that may point us toward therapeutic strategies. RESULTS: Ependymoma is a molecularly heterogeneous disease which has now been divided into at least nine distinct molecular subtypes based on DNA methylation and gene expression profiling. DNA methylation has emerged as an effective tool for classification of brain tumors alongside histopathology and other molecular diagnostics. There have been large retrospective cohorts describing molecular subgroup identity as a powerful independent predictor of outcome. There is limited published data on prospective trials to date however this is forthcoming which will lead to molecular stratification in the next generation of clinical studies. CONCLUSION: This is a review of recent advancements in our understanding of the epigenetic basis of ependymoma and discussion of how these findings reveal potential therapeutic opportunities.

Invited Review: The role and contribution of transcriptional enhancers in brain cancer.

Genetic alterations identified across several paediatric and adult brain tumours reveal recurrent disruption of active chromatin landscapes and dysregulation of transcriptional programmes. Noncoding elements, specifically enhancers, are central to these mechanisms, and are influenced by developmental and neural gene regulatory signatures. Epigenomic and transcriptomic methods and techniques have facilitated detection of active enhancers, and characterization of brain tumours integrated with genomic structural information. These datasets have provided new insights into the mechanisms of transcriptional control that are profoundly altered in childhood and adult brain cancer; offering new ideas and molecular targets for therapeutic intervention. This review summarizes recent advances in our understanding of active transcriptional programmes of brain cancer, their impact on tumour development, and research areas for further exploration.

Development of a Distance-Based Effect Size Metric for Single-Case Research: Ratio of Distances.

This article describes the development of an effect size measure called Ratio of Distances (RD). The goal was to develop a measure of level change for single case experimental research that met several practical requirements: (a) the measure is adaptable to designs with varying numbers of observations per, and across, phases; (b) the measure is adaptable to situations in which slope does and does not exist; (c) the measure has no ceiling, as is the limitation with commonly used overlap-based measures of effect size; and (d) the measure is computationally transparent and easily computed using widely available analysis tools (e.g., Microsoft Excel). The measure is applicable to single cases and meta-analyses.

Significant variation between SNP-based HLA imputations in diverse populations: the last mile is the hardest.

Four single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based human leukocyte antigen (HLA) imputation methods (e-HLA, HIBAG, HLA*IMP:02 and MAGPrediction) were trained using 1000 Genomes SNP and HLA genotypes and assessed for their ability to accurately impute molecular HLA-A, -B, -C and -DRB1 genotypes in the Human Genome Diversity Project cell panel. Imputation concordance was high (>89%) across all methods for both HLA-A and HLA-C, but HLA-B and HLA-DRB1 proved generally difficult to impute. Overall, <27.8% of subjects were correctly imputed for all HLA loci by any method. Concordance across all loci was not enhanced via the application of confidence thresholds; reliance on confidence scores across methods only led to noticeable improvement (+3.2%) for HLA-DRB1. As the HLA complex is highly relevant to the study of human health and disease, a standardized assessment of SNP-based HLA imputation methods is crucial for advancing genomic research. Considerable room remains for the improvement of HLA-B and especially HLA-DRB1 imputation methods, and no imputation method is as accurate as molecular genotyping. The application of large, ancestrally diverse HLA and SNP reference data sets and multiple imputation methods has the potential to make SNP-based HLA imputation methods a tractable option for determining HLA genotypes.

Behavioral Research with Planaria.

This article serves as a brief primer on planaria for behavior scientists. In the 1950s and 1960s, McConnell's planarian laboratory posited that conditioned behavior could transfer after regeneration, and through cannibalization of trained planaria. These studies, the responses, and replications have been collectively referred to as the "planarian controversy." Successful behavioral assays still require refinement with this organism, but they could add valuable insight into our conceptualization of memory and learning. We discuss how the planarian's distinctive biology enables an examination of biobehavioral interaction models, and what behavior scientists must consider if they are to advance behavioral research with this organism. Suggestions for academics interested in building planaria learning laboratories are offered.

Impact of radiation therapy and extent of resection for ependymoma in young children: A population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Young children with posterior fossa ependymoma (PF-EPN) have a worse prognosis than older children, and they have a unique molecular profile (PF-EPN-A subtype). Alternative treatment strategies are often used in these young patients, and their prognostic factors are less clear. METHODS: We characterized the prognostic factors and treatment outcomes of 482 patients between ages 0 and 3 years with the diagnosis of ependymoma identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry (1973-2013). RESULTS: Radiation therapy (RT) was delivered to 52.3% of patients, and gross total resection (GTR) was performed in 51.0% of patients. Overall survival (OS) at 10 years was 48.4% with median follow-up of 3.3 years. WHO grade was not predictive of OS. Extent of resection was significant for survival; the 10-year OS with GTR was 61.0%, and with subtotal resection (STR) and biopsy was 38.2% and 35.0%, respectively (P < 0.001). RT significantly benefitted OS for both grades II and III. The 10-year OS for grade II was 50.5% with RT and 43.4% without (P = 0.030); 10-year OS for grade III was 66.0% with RT and 40.0% without (P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis showed significantly improved OS with RT (hazard ratio [HR] 0.601, 95% CI: 0.439-0.820, P = 0.001) and GTR (HR 0.471, 95% CI: 0.328-0.677, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Ependymoma outcomes in patients within 0-3 years of age significantly improved with RT and GTR. Histopathologic grading of ependymoma demonstrated no prognostic significance. Given the poor OS for this population and unique genetic profile, future prospective studies with molecular-based stratification should be performed to evaluate additional prognostic factors.

Recording an Excel(®) Macro to Specify Date Ranges for Clinical Data.

The individuals served by behavior analysts are often funded by Medicaid, insurance companies, or private pay. The first two options usually require progress notes detailing graphically and quantitatively the behavioral outcomes. These progress notes usually come in the form of a written account of milestones achieved or barriers faced, graphical displays of behavioral data, and summary tables. The graphical displays are monthly, quarterly, and annual reports for the individuals that they serve. Microsoft Excel® is one of the most accessible tools by which to accomplish this task; however, presenting the required date ranges can be a time-consuming task. A task analysis is outlined to automate this process and reduce the time taken to accomplish indirect service hours to the clients served.

Demonstration of temperature imaging by H2O absorption spectroscopy using compressed sensing tomography.

This paper introduces temperature imaging by total-variation-based compressed sensing (CS) tomography of H2O vapor absorption spectroscopy. A controlled laboratory setup is used to generate a constant two-dimensional temperature distribution in air (a roughly Gaussian temperature profile with a central temperature of 677 K). A wavelength-tunable laser beam is directed through the known distribution; the beam is translated and rotated using motorized stages to acquire complete absorption spectra in the 1330-1365 nm range at each of 64 beam locations and 60 view angles. Temperature reconstructions are compared to independent thermocouple measurements. Although the distribution studied is approximately axisymmetric, axisymmetry is not assumed and simulations show similar performance for arbitrary temperature distributions. We study the measurement error as a function of number of beams and view angles used in reconstruction to gauge the potential for application of CS in practical test articles where optical access is limited.

Simultaneous optimization method for absorption spectroscopy postprocessing.

A simultaneous optimization method is proposed for absorption spectroscopy postprocessing. This method is particularly useful for thermometry measurements based on congested spectra, as commonly encountered in combustion applications of H2O absorption spectroscopy. A comparison test demonstrated that the simultaneous optimization method had greater accuracy, greater precision, and was more user-independent than the common step-wise postprocessing method previously used by the authors. The simultaneous optimization method was also used to process experimental data from an environmental chamber and a constant volume combustion chamber, producing results with errors on the order of only 1%.

Phase-change lines, scale breaks, and trend lines using Excel 2013.

The development of graphing skills for behavior analysts is an ongoing process. Specialized graphing software is often expensive, is not widely disseminated, and may require specific training. Dixon et al. (2009) provided an updated task analysis for graph making in the widely used platform Excel 2007. Vanselow and Bourret (2012) provided online tutorials that outline some alternate methods also using Office 2007. This article serves as an update to those task analyses and includes some alternative and underutilized methods in Excel 2013. To examine the utility of our recommendations, 12 psychology graduate students were presented with the task analyses, and the experimenters evaluated their performance and noted feedback. The task analyses were rated favorably.

Absolute pulse energy measurements of soft x-rays at the Linac Coherent Light Source.

This paper reports novel measurements of x-ray optical radiation on an absolute scale from the intense and ultra-short radiation generated in the soft x-ray regime of a free electron laser. We give a brief description of the detection principle for radiation measurements which was specifically adapted for this photon energy range. We present data characterizing the soft x-ray instrument at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) with respect to the radiant power output and transmission by using an absolute detector temporarily placed at the downstream end of the instrument. This provides an estimation of the reflectivity of all x-ray optical elements in the beamline and provides the absolute photon number per bandwidth per pulse. This parameter is important for many experiments that need to understand the trade-offs between high energy resolution and high flux, such as experiments focused on studying materials via resonant processes. Furthermore, the results are compared with the LCLS diagnostic gas detectors to test the limits of linearity, and observations are reported on radiation contamination from spontaneous undulator radiation and higher harmonic content.

Clinical and haematological characterisation of Mycoplasma suis infections in splenectomised and non-splenectomised pigs.

Mycoplasma suis causes infectious anaemia in pigs (IAP), which can manifest in various degrees of severity depending on the virulence and the host's susceptibility. As M. suis cannot be cultured in vitro experimental infections of splenectomised animals play an essential role for pathogenesis research. The aim of the present study was to characterise the course of experimental infection using the highly virulent and red blood cell (RBC-) invasive M. suis strain KI3806, to compare the experimental course in splenectomised and non-splenectomised pigs and to correlate clinical and haematological parameters with M. suis blood loads. All infected splenectomised pigs (n=7) were PCR-positive 2 days post infection (DPI) with maximum mean bacterial loads of 1.61 × 10(10)M. suis/mL on 8 DPI. They developed severe anaemia and massive hypoglycaemia by 8 DPI and had to be euthanised preterm (until 8 DPI) without seroconversion. The non-splenectomised pigs (n=7) became PCR-positive within 23 DPI and reached a maximum mean M. suis load of 1.64 × 10(5)M. suis/mL on 8 DPI. They developed mild anaemia, massive skin alterations with petechiae and haemorrhagic diathesis and seroconverted within 35 DPI. The study demonstrated that experimental infection of splenectomised pigs with the highly virulent M. suis strain KI3806 induces a fulminant course of infection. In contrast, M. suis strain KI3806 induces a mild course of disease in non-splenectomised pigs, which resembles the situation in naturally infected pigs. Therefore, these infection models are valuable for future pathogenesis studies on acute and chronic M. suis infections.

Epigenomic alterations define lethal CIMP-positive ependymomas of infancy.

Ependymomas are common childhood brain tumours that occur throughout the nervous system, but are most common in the paediatric hindbrain. Current standard therapy comprises surgery and radiation, but not cytotoxic chemotherapy as it does not further increase survival. Whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing of 47 hindbrain ependymomas reveals an extremely low mutation rate, and zero significant recurrent somatic single nucleotide variants. Although devoid of recurrent single nucleotide variants and focal copy number aberrations, poor-prognosis hindbrain ependymomas exhibit a CpG island methylator phenotype. Transcriptional silencing driven by CpG methylation converges exclusively on targets of the Polycomb repressive complex 2 which represses expression of differentiation genes through trimethylation of H3K27. CpG island methylator phenotype-positive hindbrain ependymomas are responsive to clinical drugs that target either DNA or H3K27 methylation both in vitro and in vivo. We conclude that epigenetic modifiers are the first rational therapeutic candidates for this deadly malignancy, which is epigenetically deregulated but genetically bland.