This study investigates the way adult second language (L2) learners of English resolve relative clause attachment ambiguities in sentences such as The dean liked the secretary of the professor who was reading a letter. Two groups of advanced L2 learners of English with Greek or German as their first language participated in a set of off-line and on-line tasks. The results indicate that the L2 learners do not process ambiguous sentences of this type in the same way as adult native speakers of English do. Although the learners' disambiguation preferences were influenced by lexical–semantic properties of the preposition linking the two potential antecedent noun phrases (of vs. with), there was no evidence that they applied any phrase structure–based ambiguity resolution strategies of the kind that have been claimed to influence sentence processing in monolingual adults. The L2 learners' performance also differs markedly from the results obtained from 6- to 7-year-old monolingual English children in a parallel auditory study, in that the children's attachment preferences were not affected by the type of preposition at all. We argue that children, monolingual adults, and adult L2 learners differ in the extent to which they are guided by phrase structure and lexical–semantic information during sentence processing.

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Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT+) populations account for 4% of the US population, yet health disparities persist, which are considered a priority in health care systems. In nursing education programs, the allotment in time to coverLGBT+ health content is not mandated thus ranges from zero to several hours total in nursing curricula. Therefore, nursing students' education regarding LGBT+ health issues remains minimal and inconsistent throughout the nation's nursing programs.Aim: To provide associate degree nursing students with exposure to the health disparities in LGBT+ populations through a reflective writing assignment.Methods: The essays were culled from both sections of an established core course in the nursing curriculum, which was taught by both faculty. Using a retrospective content analysis approach, the essays from 61 associate degree nursing students were read and reread by both authors. Similar statements were grouped together and themes emerged for both authors.Results: The content analysis from the students' essays, which exposed the students to LGBT+ health issues, yielded intriguing and encouraging data. Four themes regarding LGBT+ health emerged from the students' essays: (1) communication, (2) advocacy, (3) increased knowledge and awareness, and (4) empathy development.Conclusions: Such results suggested that a reflective writing assignment was beneficial for nursing students and exposed and familiarized them with the disparities of LGBT+ populations. Through an analysis of the students' essay contents, the two faculty researchers were able to identify improved knowledge and awareness from the writing assignment. K E Y W O R D Sassociate degree nursing students, health care disparities, LGBT health, LGBT populations, nursing curriculum, nursing education

Glucose homeostasis is regulated by insulin, which is produced in the β-cells of the pancreas. The synthesis of insulin is controlled by several transcription factors including PDX-1, USF1 and USF2. Both, PDX-1 and USF1 were identified as substrates for protein kinase CK2. Here, we have analysed the interplay of PDX-1, USF1 and CK2 in the regulation of PDX-1 gene transcription. We found that the PDX-1 promoter is dose-dependently transactivated by PDX-1 and transrepressed by USF1. With increasing glucose concentrations the transrepression of the PDX-1 promoter by USF1 is successively abrogated. PDX-1 binding to its own promoter was not influenced by glucose, whereas USF1 binding to the PDX-1 promoter was reduced. The same effect was observed after inhibition of the protein kinase activity by three different inhibitors or by using a phospho-mutant of USF1. Moreover, phosphorylation of USF1 by CK2 seems to strengthen the interaction between USF1 and PDX-1. Thus, CK2 is a negative regulator of the USF1-dependent PDX-1 transcription. Moreover, upon inhibition of CK2 in primary islets, insulin expression as well as insulin secretion were enhanced without affecting the viability of the cells. Therefore, inhibition of CK2 activity may be a promising approach to stimulate insulin production in pancreatic β-cells.

Primary cutaneous melanoma frequently metastasizes to distant organs including the brain. Identification of cell-free microRNAs (cfmiRs) found in the blood can be used as potential body fluid biomarkers for detecting and monitoring patients with melanoma brain metastasis (MBM). In this pilot study, we initially aimed to identify cfmiRs in the blood of MBM patients. Normal donors plasma (healthy, n = 48) and pre-operative MBM patients’ plasma samples (n = 36) were compared for differences in >2000 microRNAs (miRs) using a next generation sequencing (NGS) probe-based assay. A 74 cfmiR signature was identified in an initial cohort of MBM plasma samples and then verified in a second cohort of MBM plasma samples (n = 24). Of these, only 58 cfmiRs were also detected in MBM tissues (n = 24). CfmiR signatures were also found in patients who have lung and breast cancer brain metastasis (n = 13) and glioblastomas (n = 36) compared to MBM plasma samples. The 74 cfmiR signature and the latter cfmiR signatures were then compared. We found a 6 cfmiR signature that was commonly upregulated in MBM plasma samples in all of the comparisons, and a 29 cfmiR signature that distinguishes MBM patients from normal donors’ samples. In addition, we assessed for cfmiRs in plasma (n = 20) and urine (n = 14) samples collected from metastatic melanoma patients receiving checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy (CII). Pre- and post-treatment samples showed consistent changes in cfmiRs. Analysis of pre- and post-treatment plasma samples showed 8 differentially expressed (DE) cfmiRs that overlapped with the 35 cfmiR signature found in MBM patients. In paired pre-treatment plasma and urine samples receiving CII 8 cfmiRs overlapped. This study identified specific cfmiRs in MBM plasma samples that may potentially allow for assessment of melanoma patients developing MBM. The cfmiR signatures identified in both blood and urine may have potential utility to assess CII responses after further validation.