bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CoA Synthase (COASY) Mediates Radiation Resistance via PI3K Signaling in Rectal Cancer
Authors: Ferrandon Sylvain , DeVecchio Jennifer , Duraes Leonardo , Chouhan Hanumant , Karagkounis Georgios , Davenport Jacqueline , Orloff Matthew , Liska David , Kalady Matthew F.
Published: November 2019

Neoadjuvant radiation is standard of care for locally advanced rectal cancer. Response to radiation is highly variable and directly linked with survival. However, there currently are no validated biomarkers or molecular targets to predict or improve radiation response, which would help develop personalized treatment and ideally targeted therapies. Here, we identified a novel biomarker, coenzyme A synthase (COASY), whose mRNA expression was consistently elevated in radioresistant human rectal cancers. This observation was validated in independent patient cohorts and further confirmed in colorectal cancer cell lines. Importantly, genetic overexpression and knockdown yielded radioresistant and sensitive phenotypes, respectively, in vitro and in vivo. COASY-knockdown xenografts were more vulnerable to radiation, showing delayed tumor growth, decreased proliferation, and increased apoptosis. Mechanistically, COASY protein directly interacted with the PI3K regulatory subunit PI3K-P85α, which increased AKT and mTOR phosphorylation, enhancing cell survival. Furthermore, shRNA COASY knockdown disrupted downstream PI3K pathway activation and also hindered DNA double-strand break repair, which both led to improved radiosensitivity. Collectively, this work reveals for the first time the biological relevance of COASY as a predictive rectal cancer biomarker for radiation response and offers mechanistic evidence to support COASY as a potential therapeutic target.

Significance:

COASY is a novel radiotherapy response modulator in rectal cancer that regulates PI3K activation and DNA repair. Furthermore, COASY levels directly correlate with radiation response and serve as a predictive biomarker.
Differential Contributions of Pre- and Post-EMT Tumor Cells in Breast Cancer Metastasis
Authors: Lourenco Ana Rita , Ban Yi , Crowley Michael J. , Lee Sharrell B. , Ramchandani Divya , Du Wei , Elemento Olivier , George Jason T. , Jolly Mohit Kumar , Levine Herbert , Sheng Jianting , Wong Stephen T. , Altorki Nasser K. , Gao Dingcheng
Published: November 2019

Metastases are responsible for the majority of breast cancer–associated deaths. The contribution of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the establishment of metastases is still controversial. To obtain in vivo evidence of EMT in metastasis, we established an EMT lineage tracing (Tri-PyMT) model, in which tumor cells undergoing EMT would irreversibly switch their fluorescent marker from RFP+ to GFP+ due to mesenchymal-specific Cre expression. Surprisingly, we found that lung metastases were predominantly derived from the epithelial compartment of breast tumors. However, concerns were raised on the fidelity and sensitivity of RFP-to-GFP switch of this model in reporting EMT of metastatic tumor cells. Here, we evaluated Tri-PyMT cells at the single-cell level using single-cell RNA-sequencing and found that the Tri-PyMT cells exhibited a spectrum of EMT phenotypes, with EMT-related genes concomitantly expressed with the activation of GFP. The fluorescent color switch in these cells precisely marked an unequivocal change in EMT status, defining the pre-EMT and post-EMT compartments within the tumor. Consistently, the pre-EMT cells played dominant roles in metastasis, while the post-EMT cells were supportive in promoting tumor invasion and angiogenesis. Importantly, the post-EMT (GFP+) cells in the Tri-PyMT model were not permanently committed to the mesenchymal phenotype; they were still capable of reverting to the epithelial phenotype and giving rise to secondary tumors, suggesting their persistent EMT plasticity. Our study addressed major concerns with the Tri-PyMT EMT lineage tracing model, which provides us with a powerful tool to investigate the dynamic EMT process in tumor biology.

Significance:

These findings confirm the fidelity and sensitivity of the EMT lineage tracing (Tri-PyMT) model and highlight the differential contributions of pre- and post-EMT tumor cells in breast cancer metastasis.

See related commentary by Bunz, p. 153
An FPGA Implementation of Deep Spiking Neural Networks for Low-Power and Fast Classification
Authors: Ju Xiping , Fang Biao , Yan Rui , Xu Xiaoliang , Tang Huajin
Published: November 2019

A spiking neural network (SNN) is a type of biological plausibility model that performs information processing based on spikes. Training a deep SNN effectively is challenging due to the nondifferention of spike signals. Recent advances have shown that high-performance SNNs can be obtained by converting convolutional neural networks (CNNs). However, the large-scale SNNs are poorly served by conventional architectures due to the dynamic nature of spiking neurons. In this letter, we propose a hardware architecture to enable efficient implementation of SNNs. All layers in the network are mapped on one chip so that the computation of different time steps can be done in parallel to reduce latency. We propose new spiking max-pooling method to reduce computation complexity. In addition, we apply approaches based on shift register and coarsely grained parallels to accelerate convolution operation. We also investigate the effect of different encoding methods on SNN accuracy. Finally, we validate the hardware architecture on the Xilinx Zynq ZCU102. The experimental results on the MNIST data set show that it can achieve an accuracy of 98.94% with eight-bit quantized weights. Furthermore, it achieves 164 frames per second (FPS) under 150 MHz clock frequency and obtains 41[Formula: see text] speed-up compared to CPU implementation and 22 times lower power than GPU implementation.
Iterative Retrieval and Block Coding in Autoassociative and Heteroassociative Memory
Authors: Knoblauch Andreas , Palm Günther
Published: November 2019

Neural associative memories (NAM) are perceptron-like single-layer networks with fast synaptic learning typically storing discrete associations between pairs of neural activity patterns. Gripon and Berrou ( 2011 ) investigated NAM employing block coding, a particular sparse coding method, and reported a significant increase in storage capacity. Here we verify and extend their results for both heteroassociative and recurrent autoassociative networks. For this we provide a new analysis of iterative retrieval in finite autoassociative and heteroassociative networks that allows estimating storage capacity for random and block patterns. Furthermore, we have implemented various retrieval algorithms for block coding and compared them in simulations to our theoretical results and previous simulation data. In good agreement of theory and experiments, we find that finite networks employing block coding can store significantly more memory patterns. However, due to the reduced information per block pattern, it is not possible to significantly increase stored information per synapse. Asymptotically, the information retrieval capacity converges to the known limits [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] also for block coding. We have also implemented very large recurrent networks up to [Formula: see text] neurons, showing that maximal capacity [Formula: see text] bit per synapse occurs for finite networks having a size [Formula: see text] similar to cortical macrocolumns.
Resistance by the Pint: How London Brewers Shaped the Excise and Created London’s Favorite Beer
Authors: Krenzke John Robert
Published: November 2019

This study focuses on the methods that brewers in London employed to mitigate the increasing burden of taxation from the state in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries and how those methods came to shape the collection of the excise. Brewers employed a multitude of strategies to mitigate their tax burden, from hiding raw materials and products, to bribing excise officials, to the most successful strategy used by brewers, brewing an extremely strong beer concentrate that would be watered-down by consumers. It argues that the resistance of brewers and consumers in London to the state’s ability to interfere in the industry through excise taxation was vital to the creation of a professionalized excise establishment in the early eighteenth century and helped to shape the preference for eighteenth-century London’s preferred beverage, porter.
A New Document in the Early History of the Qurʾān
Authors: Karimi-Nia Morteza
Published: November 2019

Codex Mashhad in the Āstān-i Quds Library (Mashhad), comprised of Manuscripts 18 and 4116, is possibly one of the most important documents for our understanding of developments in the early history of Qurʾānic text. The combination of all features of this codex as a whole is found in few copies of early Qurʾāns written in ḥijāzī style. Considering the text, the spelling rules, the variant readings, the orthographic peculiarities, and the arrangement of sūras, it may be concluded that the main part of this codex was transcribed in a very early period, probably in the first/seventh century. Yet, unlike other early Qurʾānic manuscripts, the whole Qurʾān in the initial status of Codex Mashhad has been transcribed based on the official ʿUthmānic version but according to Ibn Masʿūd’s arrangement of sūras.
From Ethiopia to Bandung with Fanon
Authors: Shilliam Robbie
Published: November 2019

In this article I attempt to reconcile one of the most influential diplomatic episodes of Third World liberation – Bandung – with one of the most influential thinkers of said liberation – Frantz Fanon. I argue that this reconciliation can be usefully achieved by bringing to the fore the impact of the Ethiopia/Italy conflict (1935–1941) on both Fanon’s thought and the political trajectories of various individuals and movements that ultimately met at Bandung. Specifically, I trace how anti-colonial anti-fascism, an intellectual-activist position which emerged in response to Mussolini’s fascist invasion of Ethiopia, prefigured and prepared the Bandung spirit not only in biographical terms but also in terms of casting an ethics of liberation on a global scale that interwove the fates of metropoles and colonies as well as diverse colonial subjects. I frame my investigation of these influences through Fanon’s concept of Black humanism and his diplomatic injunction on behalf of the wretched of the earth, both of which I also argue can be genealogically connected to anti-colonial anti-fascism. I conclude by suggesting that the accretion of the ethics and practices encountered across these journeys from Ethiopia to Bandung with Fanon might aid in reviving an internationalist spirit for our own constrictive age.
Spirit of Bandung beyond Colonial Mobility
Authors: We Jeong Eun Annabel
Published: November 2019

This article argues that the spirit of Bandung’s relevance in a time of resurgent fascist mobilization is in the new logic of movement that the 1955 Afro-Asian conference in Bandung, Indonesia espoused. The critiques of liberal humanism and its relation to fascism by Ernst Bloch, Takeuchi Yoshimi, and Aimé Césaire reveal that an underlying problem of coloniality and movement remain in current paradigm of liberalism. The article situates conceptual reworkings of colonial-fascist movement by the thinkers Takeuchi Yoshimi, Frantz Fanon, and Ch’oe In-Hun within the trajectory of the spirit of Bandung. Through this engagement, the article argues that the spirit of Bandung has called for revolutionary movement beyond the grids of colonial mobility in the transpacific.
When Did the Masks of Coloniality Begin to Fall? Decolonial Reflections on the Bandung Spirit of Decolonization
Authors: Ndlovu-Gatsheni Sabelo J.
Published: November 2019

The ‘Bandung spirit of decolonization’ pre-dates and post-dates the physicality of the Bandung Conference of 1955. The concept of the ‘spirit’ encapsulates a melange of resistance and struggles against colonial encounters, colonialism, and coloniality—going as far back as the time of the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804). This article posits that to gain a deeper appreciation of the significance of the ‘Bandung spirit of decolonization’ it is vital to begin with an analysis of technologies of the invention of the Global South within global coloniality. The ‘Bandung spirit of decolonization’ gains a broader canvas as a name for the long standing anti-colonial resistances and decolonial struggles not only against global imperial designs and breaking from Cold War coloniality but also as a terrain of self-invention in opposition to the Northern domination. Thus, this article performs the following tasks: conceptually, it frames the ‘Bandung spirit of decolonization’ with decolonial theory; historically, it traces the politics and technologies of the invention of the global South together with its entrapment in global coloniality and empirically, it lays out the long-standing struggles for liberation beginning with the Haitian Revolution right up to the post-1945 decolonization and pan-African initiatives in Africa. Africa is the author’s locus of enunciation of the ‘Bandung spirit of decolonization’ without delinking it from the rest of the Global South.
Land management by bird community analysis: comparison among mapping methods for the zonation of a mediterranean habitat
Authors: Isotti Roberto , Monacelli Mario
Published: November 2019

Management algorithms of protected areas are widely used to identify potential networks of natural reserves that meet pre-established ecological requirements, such as a specific habitat percentage or a specific number of populations, while minimizing the related costs. Here we present a comparison of priority conservation maps of a protected area in central Italy, generated using different methods (i.e., Marxan, Marxan with Zones, Zonation, and directly overlapping the bird data with the vegetation type in the study area), based on an eight-year data set describing bird communities in the Circeo National Park. The generated maps can be used as a starting point when working with stakeholders involved in the management of this area. Our cartographic comparison illustrated that in the majority of the cases priority areas overlapped (the proportion of overlap was greater than 80% of the area size), affirming that the methods are equivalent. However, there were also divergent cases (the proportion of overlap was 0% of the area size), suggesting differential sensitivities of the four compared methods.
Limited perceptual range and presence of conspecifics both affect the ability of pit-building wormlions to choose favorable microhabitats
Authors: Scharf Inon , Samocha Yehonatan , Katz Noa
Published: November 2019

When choosing among several potential habitats, animals should strive to choose the habitat that provides the highest fitness. When animals choose habitats that do not provide the best possible fitness, there is a mismatch between habitat preference and performance. A common reason is that of limited information or perceptual range. Sit-and-wait predators are particularly deficient in information, due to spending most of their time in ambushing prey and, when they do travel, they cover only short distances. Here, we studied the effect of placing pit-building wormlions at a short distance from their preferred microhabitats, on the likelihood of them choosing it. When placed on the border between deep and shallow sand, fine and coarse sand, or dry and wet sand, wormlions chose the former in each case in vast proportions. However, the ability of wormlions to recognize and/or choose favorable habitats decreased sharply with distance, suggesting that they are limited in their perceptual range. We next examined whether wormlions relocate their pits following a continuous disturbance arriving always from the same side. Although they did so, their movement direction was unrelated to the direction of the disturbance. The preference of wormlions for a favorable, shaded microhabitat depended greatly on the location of a conspecific competitor: the favorable microhabitat was more attractive for wormlions when a competitor was more distant from it than when the competitor was located on the border between the favorable and unfavorable microhabitats. Our findings support previous studies indicating the limited perceptual range of pit-building predators.
Plasticity in extended phenotypes: how the antlion Myrmeleon crudelis adjusts the pit traps depending on biotic and abiotic conditions
Authors: Farji-Brener Alejandro G. , Amador-Vargas Sabrina
Published: November 2019

The physical structures built by animals are considered extended phenotypes that reflect how organisms make decisions and deal with changes in their biotic and abiotic environment. We summarize the results of several studies on Myrmeleon crudelis, a neuropteran larva that digs pit-traps in the soil to capture small arthropods (mostly ants) in the tropical dry forests of Costa Rica. Specifically, we showed how this species responds to varying biotic and abiotic conditions with changes in the design and/or location of its pit traps. Several experiments and field comparisons indicate that: 1) antlions adjust the pit design according to the abundance and type of prey. When prey is scarce, antlions increased trap diameter, an architectural adjustment that enhances the probability of prey encounter. Antlions that experienced high prey abundance, but the prey easily escaped, then increased pit depth, an adjustment that increases the chance of prey retention; 2) soil compaction strongly reduced pit-trap size and abundance; 3) antlions preferred soils with high proportion of fine-particle size to build pits. In fine-grained soil, pit-traps are larger and more efficient to capture prey than traps in coarse-grained soils; and 4) pit-traps may also be affected through indirect effects of soil structure and vegetation cover. Areas with fine-soil presented less plant cover, and plant cover could be beneficial for antlions because it acts as a shelter against direct sunlight and rainfall, or it may represent a cost because it is a source of leaflitter falling in the pits. The works summarized here how trap-building predators can exhibit considerable flexibility in trap construction in response to various biotic and abiotic factors, emphasizing how the study of extended phenotypes can be a useful approach to better understand the flexibility of foraging behaviors.
Antlions in interaction: confrontation of two competitors in limited space
Authors: Klokočovnik Vesna , Veler Eva , Devetak Dušan
Published: November 2019

The study focused on the behaviour of sit-and-wait antlion larvae in interspecific interactions. Antlion larvae usually occur in clusters with a high density of individuals; therefore, competition can be intense. We observed two abundant antlion species, E. nostras and M. formicarius, which co-occur in some habitats. In a simple habitat choice experiment where substrates differed according to sand particle size, we found that E. nostras exhibited dominance over M. formicarius. Most E. nostras larvae remained in the more suitable substrate and constructed pits, while all the M. formicarius larvae moved out of the suitable area, and did not build pits. In the second experiment, we observed the characteristics of the pit-fall traps and scored the occurrence of larval relocation in relation to interactions and in the control group, where larvae were kept in containers separately. In interactions, the larvae of E. nostras constructed smaller pits, but pit enlargement was greater in comparison to the control group. M. formicarius larvae constructed similar sized pits in both groups; however, enlargement was greater in the control group. Relocation of larvae occurred only during interactions. In direct interactions, we found 15 behavioural patterns, which are described in detail for the first time. In the presence of a competitor, larvae showed intense territorial behaviour. We recorded several behavioural patterns during larval confrontation, and interestingly, intraguild predation rarely occurred. In most cases, E. nostras larvae outcompete M. formicarius, which was evident from the larger pits and the rate of pit-construction.
Larval morphology of three Afrotropical pit-building antlions of the genus Myrmeleon Linnaeus (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae)
Authors: Badano Davide
Published: November 2019

The remarkable diversity of antlions in the Afrotropical region is counterbalanced by the scarce knowledge of their biology and ecology. In particular, their larval stages are largely unknown and the morphology of African pit-building species was never investigated in detail. The larvae of three pit-building species attaining a wide distribution across the whole continent, namely Myrmeleon caliginosus, M. obscurus and M. quinquemaculatus are described, illustrated and compared with congeners for the first time. Moreover, M. caliginosus is reported for the first time from Namibia, notably extending the known range of this antlion, with implications on the taxonomy and the identification of African Myrmeleon species. The larvae of these three species highlight the overall conservative morphology across the whole genus, differing in relatively minor characters such as size, proportions, pattern and chaetotaxy.
When and why do sit-and-wait social spiders disperse?
Authors: Parthasarathy Bharat , Somanathan Hema
Published: November 2019

Dispersal is inherent to all living organisms. Sit-and-wait predators such as social spiders, with their sedentary lifestyles, present an intriguing and underexplored case to examine the proximate and ultimate reasons for dispersal. Though a reduction in dispersal tendencies must accompany the evolution of sociality in spiders, a fraction of the colony may disperse in groups or individually in many species. Such group or solitary dispersal by female social spiders in specific life stages, can lead to colony fission or colony foundation. Males move between colonies, however, there are no direct estimations of male dispersal distances for any species. The structured populations and high inbreeding within colonies suggest that dispersal events occur over limited spatial scales and may be mediated by extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Future studies exploring complex relationships between environmental variables, phenotypes of individuals, colony state and dispersal are advocated. Another area of interest is probing the dispersal process itself to understand the mechanisms of information transfer between individuals at the onset of dispersal. This involves designing studies to examine how break-away groups reach a consensus on when to disperse and where to go.
Another Brick in the Wall? Young people, Protest and Nonprotest Claims Making in Nine European Countries
Authors: Loukakis Angelos , Portos Martín
Published: November 2019

The implementation of austerity and neoliberal policies has disrupted everyday life for a significant number of Europeans, especially among young people. Rising tuition fees, labor market reforms, levels of unemployment, precarious working conditions, and discontent toward the political status quo have contributed to increase moral panics and outrage, which have often triggered mass protests. This article analyses whether and to what extent young Europeans express their demands via protest claims across nine European countries ( N = 4,525). We argue that examining political (institutional and discursive) opportunities and claims’ attributes (such as actors, issues, targets) is important to understand whether a youth-related claim takes a protest form or not.
Representation of Youth in the Public Debate in Greece, Italy, and Spain: Does the Political Leaning of Newspapers Have Any Effect?
Authors: Bosi Lorenzo , Lavizzari Anna , Voli Stefania
Published: November 2019

Recent scientific studies have reached the near-unanimous conclusion that the media produce a stereotypical representation of young people. However, research in this area has not often scrutinized whether there are any significant differences in the coverage of the subject matter. Notably, this article examines whether the political leaning of newspapers has any impact on the levels of plurality in the news coverage of youth. On the basis of political claim analyses of six newspapers from three countries (Greece, Italy, and Spain), we find that the coverage of youth in the public debate is very similar if we compare center-right to center-left newspapers. This suggests that the social construction of the concept of youth dominates in the adult world, regardless of any political differences. Nonetheless, differences emerge when young people are given the opportunity to speak for themselves; center-left newspapers are more likely to recognize the agency of, and give a voice to, young people.
teen Mental Health First Aid as a school-based intervention for improving peer support of adolescents at risk of suicide: Outcomes from a cluster randomised crossover trial
Authors: Hart Laura M , Cropper Penny , Morgan Amy J , Kelly Claire M , Jorm Anthony F
Published: November 2019

Objectives:

The aims of this study were to assess evidence for a novel, universal mental health literacy programme in the school setting (teen Mental Health First Aid) as an intervention to improve peer support towards adolescents at risk of suicide and to examine whether participation in a school-based programme dealing with suicide was distressing to participants.

Method:

In a cluster randomised crossover trial, Australian high school students aged 15–17 years ( N = 1605, 44.74% female, Mage = 15.87) received either teen Mental Health First Aid or a matched control physical first aid course. Data were collected before, immediately after and 12 months after training through online surveys assessing correct recognition of suicidality and intentions to help a fictional peer (John) who was depicted as experiencing depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts in a vignette. Students were also asked whether any information in the training or surveys was found distressing and completed a validated measure of psychological distress (the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale).

Results:

Students receiving teen Mental Health First Aid training were much more likely to report an increase from pre- to post-training in recognition of suicidality (OR = 1.97, 95% CI = [1.14, 3.39], p = 0.02) and appropriate first aid intentions towards a peer at risk of suicide than students receiving physical first aid (OR = 35.40, 95% CI = [19.86, 63.14], p < 0.001). Twelve months after training, most effects were still significant. Although a greater proportion of teen Mental Health First Aid participants self-reported feeling briefly distressed after the training, there was no evidence of greater distress at 12 months on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale.

Conclusion:

teen Mental Health First Aid is effective in increasing recognition of and intentions to assist a suicidal peer. Although the open discussion of mental health first aid for a suicidal peer was distressing for some students, results suggest this was transient and not associated with harm. Future studies are required to ascertain whether these increases are indeed associated with better provision of support and prevention of youth suicide.
Screening Pediatric Patients in New-Onset Syncope (SPINS) Study
Authors: Gupta Ayush , Menoch Margaret , Levasseur Kelly , Gonzalez Ismael E.
Published: November 2019

Objectives. The primary objective is to determine the frequency of history findings associated with cardiac syncope. Second, to determine the frequency of abnormal electrocardiograms (EKG) in patients presenting with typical vasovagal syncope. Methods. Retrospective chart review from January 2006 to April 2017 of children aged 5 to 18 years presenting to the emergency department with a chief complaint of syncope. Target population was all patients with first episode of syncope and a documented EKG. Excluded patients were those with head trauma, drug intoxication, current pregnancy, seizure, and any endocrine problem. Patients with cardiac causes of syncope were identified by an abnormal EKG or echocardiogram. Specific history findings (past cardiac history, chest pain, palpitations, syncope with exercise, absence of prodrome with syncope) were compared with those with and without cardiac etiology of syncope. The possibility of missing a patient with cardiac cause of syncope based on specific history findings was identified. Results. Of the total 4115 visits of patients with chief complaints of syncope, 2293 patients (55.7%) met the inclusion criteria. Nine patients (0.39%) were identified with cardiac etiology of syncope. The remaining were determined to be of vasovagal origin. All patients with cardiac etiology of syncope were found to have one positive specific history findings. A total of 1972 patients were identified with absence of specific history findings; no patient had a cardiac etiology of syncope. Conclusions. This study identifies screening questions to identify cardiac syncope. Implementing these standard questions could potentially decrease resource utilization and time for evaluation as well as guide follow-up.
The Cascading Coaching Model for Supporting Service Providers, Caregivers, and Children
Authors: Meadan Hedda , Chung Moon Y. , Sands Michelle M. , Snodgrass Melinda R.
Published: November 2019

Teaching caregivers to support their young children’s language development is recommended as an effective early language intervention, and caregiver-implemented interventions are recognized as evidence-based. However, as the natural change agents for training and coaching caregivers, early intervention (EI) service providers are in need of professional development to effectively coach caregivers to use interventions with their child. The purpose of this study was to examine the Coaching Caregivers Professional Development program (CoCare PD) in which researchers train and coach EI service providers via telepractice in caregiver coaching, a set of skills useful in nurturing partnerships with families to support caregivers’ use of evidence-based practices with their young children with disabilities. A single-case research study across four EI service providers was conducted and findings support a functional relation between training and coaching EI service providers via telepractice and providers’ use of coaching practices with families on their caseload.
From Major Preferences to Major Choices: Gender and Logics of Major Choice
Authors: Quadlin Natasha
Published: November 2019

Research shows that college students choose majors for a variety of reasons. Some students are motivated by potential economic returns, others want to take engaging classes, and others still would like opportunities to help people in their jobs. But how do these preferences map onto students’ actual major choices? This question is particularly intriguing in light of gender differences in fields of study, as men and women may take divergent pathways in pursuit of the same outcome. Using data from the Pathways through College Study (N = 2,639), I show that men and women choose very different majors even when they cite the same major preferences—what I call gendered logics of major choice. In addition, I use earnings data from the American Community Survey to assess how these gendered logics of major choice may be associated with broader patterns of earnings inequality. I find that among men and women who have the same major preferences, men’s major choices are tied to significantly higher prospective earnings than women’s major choices. This finding demonstrates that the ways men and women translate their preferences into majors are unequal from an earnings perspective. Implications for research on higher education and gender are discussed.
Studio Thinking Framework in Higher Education: Exploring Options for Shaping Immersive Experiences Across Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Curricula
Authors: Steele Patricia , Burleigh Cheryl , Bailey Liston , Kroposki Margaret
Published: November 2019

With an increase in the number of colleges and universities using virtual reality and augmented reality integrated programs, specific insight for exploring immersive learning approaches utilizing virtual and augmented reality tools and applications in a variety of disciplines is needed. In some instances, pedagogical approaches for creating immersive learning experiences require a sound conceptual framework for course or content design with emphasis on developing opportunities for higher order thinking in virtual reality/augmented reality educational experiences. Public access data were used in this qualitative-directed content analysis study to examine course goals, objectives, and learning outcomes of 14 U.S. Artificial Intelligence universities as to the potential for developing creative and cognitive skills, as described within the pedagogical framework of Studio Thinking Framework. Findings indicated multiple opportunities for creative and cognitive thinking as Studio Thinking Framework was integrated into these immersive spaces.
School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Telecoaching in a Rural District
Authors: McDaniel Sara C. , Bloomfield Bradley S.
Published: November 2019

Rural school districts are unique educational settings requiring efficient use of resources. Barriers to high-quality educational practices in rural settings include the distance from professional development expertise and limited funding. To address these potential obstacles for implementing School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, we utilized telecoaching for providing monthly technical assistance. Results of this case study indicate that telecoaching in a rural school district across 1 academic year may be an effective alternative for in-person coaching. Descriptive statistics including implementation fidelity, discipline and attendance outcomes, and telecoaching treatment integrity are presented. Implications for practice and future directions are discussed.
Influence of installation of S-shaped pipe offset on the water flow capacity of double stack drainage system in a high-rise building
Authors: Guan Yuxi , Fang Zheng , Yuan Jianping , Tang Zhi
Published: November 2019

In high-rise and ultra-high-rise residential buildings, the drainage systems usually adopt the S-shaped offset pipe joint to avoid collisions of pipelines with beams and columns. However, the flow direction changes at the offset point would significantly affect the drainage capacity of the systems. To better understand the influence of pipe offset joints on the drainage capacity, three different building drainage systems namely YZW 1, YZW 2, and YZW 3 systems, were built up and investigated. YZW 1 system is a standard double-stack drainage system with anti-reflux H-tube joints. YZW 2 and YZW 3 systems were developed from YZW 1 by adding S-shape offset pipe joints on the 4th floor. An extra anti-reflux H-tube joint added 1 m above the offset joint as a measure for improving the drainage capacity differentiates YZW 3 system from YZW 2 system. The pressure fluctuation and water seal losses were adopted as experimental parameters to determine the maximum discharge capacity according to Standard for Capacity Test of Vertical Pipe of the Domestic Residential Drainage System. The experimental results show that the discharge capacity limitation of the drainage system with the offset joint is 6.5 L/s, which is much smaller than 11.0 L/s of the system without the offset joint. In the experiments with the offset joint, the pressure fluctuated fiercely at the position where flow direction changed and caused severe water seal losses of the floor drain and P-shaped trap. An anti-reflux H-tube joint above the original offset joint was observed to relieve the pressure fluctuation as an improvement and the drainage capacity was improved to some extent. The relationships among the maximum discharge rate, pressure fluctuation transients, and water seal losses were discussed. Lastly, a nondimensional analysis was adopted to understand the relationship between water seal losses and pressure limit values under different discharge rates for current test facilities. Practical application: A method has been tested and approved to effectively improve the discharge ability of a building drainage system that includes offset. The application of S-shape-offsets in high-rise building drainage systems can relieve the discharge congestion typically caused by standard pipe offset arrangements.
Mental Health across Motherhood Status: An Examination of Mediating Factors
Authors: Pritchard Kayla M. , Falci Christina D.
Published: November 2019

Motherhood represents a valued status in American culture especially for biological mothers within stable first-marriages. Focusing on partnered women, this study examined how and why mental health differed across three motherhood statuses: biological-only, step-only, and double mothers (i.e., both biological and step). Using data from the National Survey of Fertility Barriers (NSFB), we found lower life satisfaction among step-only and double mothers compared to biological-only mothers. More economic hardship, lower quality romantic relationships, and higher rates of cohabitation fully explained the differences between biological-only and double mothers in life satisfaction. Differences between biological-only and step-only mothers are partially explained by self-esteem and cohabitation. Double mothers also reported higher psychological distress than biological-only mothers. This difference is partially explained by lower romantic relationship quality and more economic hardship among double mothers. We found no differences in psychological distress between step-only and biological-only mothers.
Post-Sexual Assault Mental Health: A Randomized Clinical Trial of a Video-Based Intervention
Authors: Gilmore Amanda K. , Walsh Kate , Frazier Patricia , Meredith Liza , Ledray Linda , Davis Joanne , Acierno Ron , Ruggiero Kenneth J. , Kilpatrick Dean G. , Jaffe Anna E. , Resnick Heidi S.
Published: November 2019

The current study assessed the efficacy of a brief video intervention (Prevention of Post-Rape Stress [PPRS]) delivered in the emergency department to recent sexual assault (SA) victims. PPRS was compared to treatment as usual (TAU) and an active control condition (Pleasant Imagery and Relaxation Instruction [PIRI]). Primary outcomes were posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and perceived present control. Prior SA was examined as a moderator of treatment effects. Women ( n = 233; aged 15 years and older; 59.70% identified as a racial or ethnic minority) who received a post-SA medical forensic exam participated in the study (NCT01430624). Participants were randomized to watch the PPRS video ( n = 77), the PIRI video ( n = 77), or receive TAU ( n = 79). Participants completed measures of PTSD symptoms and perceived present control 1.5-, 3-, and 6-months post-SA. An interaction between condition and prior SA was found on PTSD symptom frequency and on perceived present control. Among women with a prior SA, women in the PPRS versus TAU condition reported less frequent PTSD symptoms 6-months post-SA. Those in the PPRS condition had lower perceived present control than those in the TAU condition among those with no prior SA 3-months post-SA. However, at 6-months post-SA, among women with a prior SA, women in the PPRS reported higher perceived present control than those in TAU. These findings partially replicate a prior study in which PPRS was found to be beneficial in mitigating the development of PTSD symptoms, but only for women with a prior SA.
Them, Us, and I: How Group Contexts Influence Basic Psychological Needs
Authors: Kachanoff Frank J. , Wohl Michael J. A. , Koestner Richard , Taylor Donald M.
Published: November 2019

Here, we integrate two influential psychological theories: social-identity theory and self-determination theory. Whereas social-identity theory considers how social identities impact the self, self-determination theory elucidates the psychological necessity of feeling related, competent, and autonomous. In this article, we outline and provide justification for a unified theoretical framework that considers how perceptions of personal relatedness, competence, and autonomy are influenced by perceptions that one’s social group is related, competent, and autonomous.
The Match-up Between Celebrity Associations and Product Type
Authors: Parmar Yadvinder , Ghuman Mandeep Kaur , Mann Bikram Jit Singh
Published: November 2019

This research develops a generic framework that matches celebrity associations with various product categories and finds an ideal set of celebrity associations for each product category. Three studies have been conducted for achieving the purpose of the study. Study one identifies associations that consumers link with celebrities and classifies them into thirteen different categories. It also finds a total of 30 products and services that consumers associate with celebrity endorsements. In study two, the respondents are asked if each of the three celebrities is appropriate for endorsing each of the 30 identified products and services. The results support the match-up hypothesis notion that different celebrities are considered appropriate for different product categories. In study three, the respondents were asked to identify the associations that a celebrity should possess for endorsing various product categories. The results reveal that the celebrity associations can be classified into two broad categories—universal associations and product specific associations. Universal associations include the associations which the respondents consider to be essential for all types of products. Product specific associations include the associations that vary in their importance depending on the type of product category. The findings have significant implications for academicians, brand managers and celebrity management companies.
Agrarian Reform and Democracy: Lessons from the Philippine Experience
Authors: Lanzona Leonardo A.
Published: November 2019

Throughout the country’s history, agrarian reform in the Philippines has long been a combative issue and one that is often preceded by some form of instability and violence. Used mainly as a tool to garner grassroots support, agrarian reforms were formally institutionalized by setting up regulations on land size and contracts. Despite efforts to integrate the reforms to the markets, including the clustering of small hectares (ha) of land into large corporate estates, the benefits of the Agrarian Reform Program remained elusive under conservative demarcations set by regulations, including the definition of property rights, transformation or maintenance of state structures and the contract limitations to be formed at the production level. Land continues to be redistributed favorably to former landowner elites. This study finds that inequality in land ownership persists as the institutions set de facto political power to the elites. Under this condition, the equitable redistribution of land is an impossibility.

The Philippine Agrarian Reform Programs have been hampered by high transaction costs and inadequate credible commitments, thus resulting in the erosion of market forces and elite capture of institutions. Based on agency theory, the existing regulation-based programme, which relies on the state’s power to expropriate, should give away to a more demand-driven, community-led Agrarian Reform Program that gives the parties more space to negotiate and bargain about the final allocation of the land. This involves the promulgation of relational contracts and the creation of more democratic institutions.
The Development Trajectories of Thailand and Sri Lanka: A Comparative Analysis
Authors: Marwah Reena , Ramanayake Sanika Sulochani
Published: November 2019

The raison d’être to compare the development trajectories of two Asian economies, viz. Thailand and Sri Lanka, stems from the fact that both countries are in the middle-income level. Hence, a comparative analysis of the development trajectories of the two countries during 2009–2019, both being neighbours with religious and cultural affinities, as well as members in Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), has been undertaken. The key objective is to decipher key policy lessons for Sri Lanka (which has been in the lower middle-income group) from Thailand’s development path (which has placed the latter in the upper middle-income group). This article also elucidates the key drivers of economic growth along with the challenges that the two countries must contend with, to attain higher growth levels. Economic drivers, such as tourism, foreign direct investment (FDI) policies and political stability are concomitant for their development.
International Research Collaborations as Perceived by Top-Performing Scholars
Authors: Yemini Miri
Published: November 2019

This study combines two rapidly growing bodies of literature; one addresses the reasons behind the success of highly productive academics and the second investigates collaborations (international coauthorships in particular). The growing literatures on these two topics mainly involve quantitative bibliometric explanatory studies, denoting the demographic, institutional, and national factors as influential parameters that shape these trends. In this study, in contrast, I employ the notion of agency to analyze 20 in-depth interviews with top-producing academics from Denmark, Israel, and Australia in the fields of education and nanoscience, seeking to better understand the motivations, nature, perceived benefits, and drawbacks of such collaborations. I argue that these highly productive scholars involve themselves in international collaborations for a variety of reasons, but mainly due to the potential of such collaborations to advance their research. However, while scholars in nanoscience align with the disciplinary norms of collaborations and see such partnerships as a mundane part of their scientific work, scholars in education (where international collaborations are less common) perceive these activities as agentic, whereby participants often counteract social norms to pursue joint research. In the context of increasing pressures for accountability, commercialization, and internationalization of and in higher education, this study suggests a nuanced understanding of international research collaborations practiced by highly productive scholars.
Offshore Helicopter Travel: Is the U.K. Oil and Gas Industry Failing Workers?
Authors: Downie Margaret , Gosling Denise
Published: November 2019

In the United Kingdom, oil and gas workers have been transported by helicopter to their workplace at offshore installations for more than fifty years. During that time, there have been numerous fatal helicopter accidents. Despite calls from trade unions, families, and politicians, a public inquiry has never been held into offshore helicopter transport. The authors consider whether enough has been done to ensure the safety of these workers to meet legal and ethical standards. They analyze the legal position, the implementation of recommendations made in the wake of these accidents, and the way in which the power imbalance between oil and gas companies and helicopter operators influences safety in this area. They conclude that a public inquiry is required into helicopter safety in the U.K. Continental Shelf area.