First person – Jun-yi Zhu and Xiaohu Huang

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Disease Models & Mechanisms, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Jun-yi Zhu and Xiaohu Huang are first authors on ‘ Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of hypoxia signaling attenuates oncogenic RAS-induced cancer phenotypes’, published in DMM. Jun-yi is an assistant professor in the lab of Zhe Han at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA, investigating the use of Drosophila as a model to study human disease mechanisms and treatment approaches. Xiaohu is a postdoc in the same lab, investigating gene functions in cardiovascular development and genetic diseases.

How to Avoid "Unenlightened Sorrow": A Statistical Analysis of Plain Remarriage

This article is a basic quantitative analysis of widowhood and remarriage trends among several Plain churches. When compared to past studies of similar topics, a remarkable consistency of findings across both time and sect can be identified. Bereaved Plain spouses have largely experienced widowhood along separate gender-specific paths, in data sets ranging from 1730 to 2019 and from relatively liberal to traditional communities. Positing that much of Amish and Amish Mennonite society is designed to socialize and retain children, this article offers opportunities for deeper study of the parental roles undergirding that society. The primary research suggestions include spousal function in the context of family life, the various factors influencing the health of bereaved spouses, and the "marriage squeeze" present in many churches. The central data sets used in this study were collected from the 2019 edition of the Amish Mennonite Directory and the 2015 Church Directory of the Lancaster County Amish and Outlying Daughter Settlements. These reference books were sampled on a one-in-five and one-in-three basis, respectively. The resultant widowhood cases were contextualized by widowhood cases from studies by Elmer Lewis Smith and researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Analysis of the Most-Cited Systematic Review or Meta-Analysis in Acupuncture Research

Objectives. The aim of the current study was to analyze the 100 most-cited systematic reviews or meta-analyses in the field of acupuncture research. Methods. The Web of Science Core Collection was used to retrieve lists of 100 most-cited systematic reviews or meta-analyses in the field of acupuncture research. Two authors screened literature, extracted data, and analyzed the results. Results. The citation number of the 100 most-cited systematic reviews or meta-analyses varied from 65 to 577; they were published between 1989 and 2018. Fourteen authors published more than 1 study as the corresponding author and 10 authors published more than 1 study as the first author. In terms of the corresponding authors, Edzard Ernst and Linde Klaus published the most systematic reviews/meta-analyses (n = 7). The USA published most of the systematic reviews or meta-analyses (n = 24), followed by England (n = 23) and China (n = 14). Most institutions with more than 1 study were from England (4/13). The institutions with the largest numbers of most-cited systematic reviews or meta-analyses were the Technical University of Munich in Germany, the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the USA (n = 8), the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth in England (n = 6), and the University of Exeter in England (n = 6). The journal with the largest number of most-cited systematic reviews or meta-analyses was the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (n = 20), followed by Pain (n = 6). Conclusion. Our study reveals that the 100 most-cited systematic reviews or meta-analyses in the acupuncture research field are mostly from high impact factor journals and developed countries. It will help researchers follow research hot spots, broaden their research scope, expand their academic horizons, and explore new research ideas, thereby improving the quality of acupuncture research.

An Omics Analysis Search and Information System (OASIS) for Enabling Biological Discovery in the Old Order Amish

The "Omics Analysis Search and Information System" (OASIS), developed at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, enables discovery by allowing researchers to mine results from genome wide association studies (GWAS). When interesting signals are found, the research can immediately ask follow-up questions and get answers in real-time. OASIS provides this unique capability with a web-based, scientist-friendly search system and a variety of real-time analysis tools (linkage disequilibrium calculations, conditional analysis, and direct variant comparison) plus on-demand visualizations (boxplots, histograms, LocusZoom & Haploview plots, and pedigree charts). Because OASIS uses a web-based user interface, an understanding of programming or the UNIX operating system is not required. The OASIS application has been used to enable discovery from whole-exome, whole-genome, metabolome, transcriptome and methylome association results for Old Order Amish studies at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Discrepancies in periodontitis classification among dental practitioners with different educational backgrounds

Background The 2018 classification of periodontal disease characterizes the disease with a multidimensional staging and grading system. The purpose of this multicenter study was to examine variations in periodontitis classification among dental practitioners with different postgraduate educational backgrounds at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry and the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry using the 2018 classification. Methods This cross-sectional observational study included two cohorts: dental practitioners with periodontal backgrounds (n1 = 31) and those with other educational backgrounds (n2 = 33). The survey instrument contained three periodontitis cases presented with the guideline of the 2018 classification and a questionnaire including closed and open-ended questions. The participants were asked to review each case and to fill out the questionnaire independently. Fisher’s exact test was conducted to examine the differences in responses between the two cohorts. Polychoric correlations were calculated to examine the relation between the level of familiarity with the 2018 classification and the accuracy of the classification. Results The distribution of item responses was significantly different between the two cohorts regarding only one item, grading for Case 1 (p = 0.01). No significant differences in accuracy between the two cohorts were observed except for two items, grading in Case 1 (p = 0.03) and staging in Case 3 (p = 0.04). There were no significant differences in risk factor identification for each case among the two cohorts (p = 1.00, Case 1; p = 0.22, Case 2). Staging in Case 3 ($$\widehat{\rho }$$ ρ ^ = 0.52) and risk factor identification in Case 2 ($$\widehat{\rho }$$ ρ ^ = 0.32) were significantly correlated with familiarity with the 2018 classification. Conclusion A fair level of agreement in periodontitis classification was observed among dental practitioners with different educational backgrounds when the 2018 classification was used. The periodontal cohort showed better agreement levels and partially better accuracy. Risk factor identification for periodontal disease was difficult regardless of the educational background.

Under the Law: Discriminatory practices in voucher programs

A recent case in Maryland raises the question of how state policies related to school funding apply to religious schools with discriminatory practices. A private Maryland school was denied voucher funds when the state learned that the school’s handbook required that dress codes, pronoun use, and restroom choice align with a student’s sex assigned at birth. The school sued, claiming that the policy was not discriminatory because it does not apply to student admission. Suzanne Eckes and Julie Mead consider this case in light of past cases involving school discrimination.