bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative Evaluation of Mechanical Properties and Bond Strength of Glass Ionomer Cement reinforced with three different concentrations of Silver Nanoparticles as against Conventional Glass Ionomer Cement in Primary Teeth.
Authors: Kanani Harikishan , Khubchandani Monika
Published: September 2024

Introduction: Restorative dental materials are defined as substances that are used to repair, replace, or enhance a patient’s teeth. Various materials used in paediatric dentistry are zinc oxide eugenol, glass ionomer cement, resin composite, calcium hydroxide, silver amalgam, giomers etc. GIC is a biocompatible material having a low thermal expansion coefficient and fluoride release property. There are still a few drawbacks of GICdue of their poor mechanical properties therefore addition of Silver Nanoparticles demonstrated improved mechanical and bactericidal capabilities. There hasn’t been much study on the quality of the bond contact between silver nanoparticles and dentin, as well as the color’s durability. Aim: To evaluate and compare the mechanical properties and bond strength of Glass ionomer cement reinforced with three different concentrations of silver nanoparticle as against conventional glass ionomer cement in primary Teeth. Materials and Method: Silver nanoparticles will be prepared using three chemicals namely, silver nitrate, sodium citrate and tannic acid. Traditional GIC (GC Fuji II, GC Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) will be purchased. Three different concentrations of silver nanoparticles will be prepared i.e., 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6%. The GIC specimens will then be divided into 4 groups: GIC without silver nanoparticles (AgNPs),0.2%,0.4% and 0.6% AgNPs. Mechanical properties will be checked such as compressive, tensile, and bond strength using Universal Testing Machine. Expected Results: GIC reinforced with silver nano particles is expected to have better mechanical strength, less microleakage and wear resistance, greater fracture resistance and adhesive bond strength. Conclusion: GIC reinforced with silver nano particles will be expected to have better mechanical and physical properties than conventional Type II GICs and is expected to be a promising material for restoration in primary teeth.
Occurrence of pathogenic yeast species in artisanal cheeses from Boyacá, Colombia, including fluconazole resistant isolates
Authors: Sánchez Quitian Zilpa Adriana , Pérez Rozo Guisell Mariana , Firacative Carolina
Published: September 2024

Yeasts are widely known for their application in food production, but also because of their clinical significance. As human pathogens, several species of yeasts, mainly of the genus Candida, are responsible for a great number of life-threatening infections. The occurrence of yeasts in cheeses, including pathogenic species, has been largely studied, yet the antifungal susceptibility of these microorganisms is rarely reported. Here, we identified the species and determined the antifungal susceptibility profile of 45 Candida isolates recovered from artisanal cheeses from 20 cities in Boyacá, Colombia. Among the species, Candida lambica (28.9%) prevailed, followed by Candida krusei (24.4%), Candida kefyr (22.2%), Candida lusitaniae (11.1%), Candida inconspicua (6.7%) Candida parapsilosis (4.4%) and Candida guillermondii (2.2%). Notably, all seven species have been globally reported, to a greater or lesser extent, to cause fungemia and other invasive infections with high mortality rates. Remarkably, most isolates of C. lambica C. krusei, C. inconspicua and C. parapsilosis were resistant to fluconazole, one of the most common drugs to treat candidiasis. Our findings highlight the importance of exploring the ecological niches of pathogenic yeasts, together with their antifungal susceptibility, considering that the emergence of resistance in non-commensal opportunistic pathogens poses a serious threat to public health.
Fiscal sustainability analysis in selected SADC region countries with emphasis on South Africa: dynamic modeling, nonlinear causality, and machine learning approaches
Authors: Plaatjies Cambell , Twala Bhekisipho , Dlamini Cliff
Published: September 2024

Global suicide rates owing to disaster impacts have been confusing because of varied and unclear results. This study aimed to investigate how suicides have occurred worldwide during disasters. The methodology used included a systematic literature review and comparative analysis. The disaster exacerbation (X, bad human nature, or suicide rate rise) perspective was compared with the disaster resilience (Y, good human nature, or suicide rate fall) perspective to extract disaster ecology (Z, neutral human nature, or suicide rate fluctuation) perspective from international leaders, government officials, researchers, and disaster victims. A major theme was that the four stakeholders would adopt the Z perspective based on the fusion of X and Y perspectives (leading to X+Y=Z), while embracing heterogeneous research, proactive and long-term strategies, education, and so on. This study relied heavily on the large-scale dynamics of suicide rates than previous studies.
A high-throughput gene expression analysis software tool for developmental time series and gene signature analysis of human cardiomyocyte differentiation
Authors: Bartlett Isaiah , Kinne Jeff , Martin Grace , Coombes Kevin , Schwab Kristopher R.
Published: September 2024

Publicly available high-throughput gene expression data enable the investigation of biological processes by the scientific community. Although several bioinformatics tools offer methodologies for basic differential gene expression analysis, difficulties arise in the analysis of multiple sample groups comprising a developmental time series, especially when the identification and classification of unique gene expression patterns is the primary goal of the study. Data analysis using these tools requires programming experience, which limits the accessibility of these tools to the broader community. To streamline developmental time-series investigations, we created the Developmental Gene Expression Analysis (devGEA) tool. This environment can be implemented locally or via web browsers to expedite differential gene expression analysis. This tool provides gene signature determination methods that can classify differentially expressed genes based on their correlation with gene expression patterns. devGEA was used to characterize cardiac development gene expression signatures from high-throughput RNA-seq datasets profiling small-molecule directed cardiomyocyte differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell lines (hiPSCs). After pre-processing, discrete gene expression criteria-based expected changes were used to classify the genes into developmental signatures. Several cardiomyocyte differentiation markers and candidate cardiac genes representing different developmental signatures were experimentally validated using the GIBCOTM hiPSC line. This method was then compared to a gene signature correlation approach that classified expressed genes based on their degree of similarity with key cardiac developmental signatures representing the stages of cardiomyocyte differentiation. Therefore, devGEA provides a robust workflow for investigator-driven analysis of developmental time series, allowing for the identification of differentially expressed genes and gene signatures for extensive experimental investigation. We also introduced a method for classifying genes by their correlation with genes or developmental patterns of interest. Our correlation-based method takes advantage of a priori knowledge of an experiment and is conceptually simpler than unsupervised clustering approaches.
The Ebola Data Platform: A prospective, standardised, clinical dataset collected during the 2013-2016 West African Ebola outbreak
Authors: Merson Laura , Yeabah Trokon Omarley , Strudwick Samantha , Fayiah Tamba , Lee Jennifer H. , Feika Musa Martin , Buck Gemma , Oneill Kwame , Kennon Kalynn , Cherif Mahamoud Sama
Published: September 2024

The Ebola Data Platform (EDP) was developed to strengthen knowledge and capacity across health, research, and humanitarian communities to reduce the impact of Ebola through responsible data use. This collaborative initiative was established by West African governments, NGOs, academic organisations, and intra-governmental health organisations directly involved in the 2013–2016 West African Ebola outbreak. The platform was established to provide a centralised, standardised dataset of individual patient data collected during the outbreak for the purpose of research to improve Ebola treatment and control, and includes over 13,600 patient records of individuals infected and treated from 22 different Ebola treatment centres across Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Nigeria. Patient data are available from treatment centre triage and admission, inpatient clinical observations, and outcomes, with outpatient follow-up available for some datasets. Data include signs and symptoms, pre-existing comorbidities, vital signs, laboratory testing, treatments, complications, dates of admission and discharge, mortality, viral strains, and other data. This publication describes characteristics of the EDP dataset, its architecture, methods for data access and tools for utilising the dataset.
A chromosomal reference genome sequence for the malaria mosquito, Anopheles maculipalpis, Giles, 1902
Authors: Rahola Nil , Ayala Diego , Bouafou Lemonde B. A. , Makanga Boris K. , Johnson Harriet F. , Heaton Haynes , Wagah Martin G. , Collins Joanna C. , Krasheninnikova Ksenia , Pelan Sarah E. , Pointon Damon-Lee B. , Sims Ying , Torrance James W. , Tracey Alan , Uliano-Silva Marcela , Wood Jonathan M. D. , von Wyschetzki Katharina ,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: Sequencing Operations, McCarthy Shane A. , Neafsey Daniel E. , Makunin Alex , Lawniczak Mara K. N.
Published: September 2024

We present a genome assembly from an individual female Anopheles maculipalpis (the malaria mosquito; Arthropoda; Insecta; Diptera; Culicidae). The genome sequence is 224 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into three chromosomal pseudomolecules with the X sex chromosome assembled. The complete mitochondrial genome was also assembled and is 15.4 kilobases in length.
The genome sequence of the Grey Pug moth, Eupithecia subfuscata (Haworth, 1809)
Authors: Holt Stephanie , Broad Gavin R. , Sivess Laura , Wawman Denise C. , Crowley Liam M. ,   Natural History Museum Genome Acquisition Lab,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Management, Samples and Laboratory team,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: Sequencing Operations,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Core Informatics team,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: September 2024

We present a genome assembly from an individual female Eupithecia subfuscata (the Grey Pug; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Geometridae). The genome sequence has a total length of 505.90 megabases. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 32 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the W and Z sex chromosomes. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 15.55 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 14,416 protein-coding genes.
The genome sequence of the cuckoo wrasse, Labrus mixtus Linnaeus 1758
Authors: Heaton Belle , Brittain Rachel , Adkins Patrick , Scott-Somme Kesella , Harley Joanna ,   Marine Biological Association Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Management, Samples and Laboratory team,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: Sequencing Operations,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Core Informatics team,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: September 2024

We present a genome assembly from an individual Labrus mixtus (the cuckoo wrasse; Chordata; Actinopteri; Labriformes; Labridae). The genome sequence has a total length of 740.60 megabases. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 24 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 16.49 kilobases in length.
The genome sequence of a slender sawfly, Ametastegia equiseti (Fallén, 1808)
Authors: Nash Will J. , Halstead Andrew ,   Natural History Museum Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Management, Samples and Laboratory team,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: Sequencing Operations,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Core Informatics team,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: September 2024

We present a genome assembly from a female slender sawfly, Ametastegia equiseti (Arthropoda; Insecta; Hymenoptera; Tenthredinidae). The genome sequence spans 292.20 megabases. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 15 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 29.69 kilobases in length.
Simulated animal and simulated umwelt: Towards a method of analysing and critiquing nonhuman animals in consumer settings
Authors: Creighton Andrew Mark
Published: September 2024

In this article I develop sociologist George Ritzer’s concept ‘simulated animal’ by focusing on rational systems, enchantment, and nonhuman animal corporeality and behaviour. I argue that simulated animals are nonhumans controlled, structured, or represented within consumer contexts. From this I develop what I am calling ‘simulated umwelt’. Simulated umwelt, as a concept, is a synthesis of zoosemiotics with Ritzer’s work and focuses on nonhuman animals’ experiences and representations within rationalized settings and consumer representation. This is accomplished by applying umwelt theory and analysis to the subjective experiential aspect of simulated animals via umwelt construction, in the ongoing pursuit of descriptive and critical approaches to nonhuman animals closely connected to consumption. I conclude by emphasizing the utility of simulated umwelt reconstruction for facilitating “truly” intersubjective descriptions of nonhuman experience.
Code and Data Repository for A Polyhedral Study on Fuel-Constrained Unit Commitment
Authors: Pan Kai , Zhao Ming , Li Chung-Lun , Qiu Feng
Published: September 2024

This repository includes the data set and code used in the computational experiments of the paper: A Polyhedral Study on Fuel-Constrained Unit Commitment, which is co-authored by Kai Pan, Ming Zhao, Chung-Lun Li, and Feng Qiu.
Introduction
Authors: Richter Christoph , Marschner Noah , Patz Janine , Salheiser Axel
Published: September 2024

This volume covers international and multidisciplinary perspectives on the consequences of the unequal production and distribution of fossil wealth, the associated conflicts over the distribution of resources, power and responsibilities, and the mechanisms of their justification. The introduction presents some key theoretical terms and concepts that run through the contributions and can help to reflect more closely on the complex relationships between the different perspectives and spatial variances dealt with in this volume. While the first part of the introduction and the book is mainly dedicated to the structures and mechanisms of global inequality and the realities of the climate crisis in some countries of the Global South, the second part focuses on concepts of climate justice and the last part on the cultural and political practices that have developed on the basis of the global inequality structures outlined above and their historical precedents. The anthology shows that the climate crisis affects all societies, but not all equally. Many countries of the Global South are still suffering the most from the consequences of climate change. As the climate crisis escalates, the historically evolved and persistent structures of global inequality are moving to the centre of debates and fear of a loss of status and prosperity is spreading, especially in the affluent, industrialised societies of the Global North. This is accompanied by a strengthening of the radical right which is putting democratic societies and global climate protection to the test.
Transformational leadership and consumer citizenship behavior on employee creativity: The mediating role of intrinsic motivation
Authors: Setyono Hendro , Adawiyah Wiwiek Rabiatul , Fitriani Syifa
Published: September 2024

Implementing a suitable leadership style and understanding consumer citizenship behavior can increase employee creativity. Intrinsic motivation is necessary to support consumer citizenship behavior and transformational leadership in improving employee creativity. This study examines how consumer citizenship and transformational leadership affect employee creativity, using intrinsic motivation as a mediating factor. 46 respondents represent the study's sample, and the population focus is Bank Syariah Indonesia employees. The study's findings show that: customer citizenship behavior influences intrinsic motivation, which in turn influences employee creativity; employee creativity is not impacted by customer citizenship behavior; employee creativity is impacted by intrinsic motivation; employee creativity is mediated by intrinsic motivation; employee creativity is impacted by transformational leadership; employee creativity is impacted by transformational leadership; employee creativity is impacted by transformational leadership; and employee creativity is not mediated by intrinsic motivation.
Os parlamentos hispano-mapuche no período colonial
Authors: Gonzalez de Carvalho Seixlack Alessandra
Published: September 2024

Este artigo busca explorar o potencial dos conceitos de cosmohistória e cosmopolítica de promover uma escrita da História da América colonial atenta aos silenciamentos impostos pela modernidade ocidental. Partimos da hipótese de que o regime de historicidade cosmohistórico, proposto pelo historiador mexicano Federico Navarrete Linares, em diálogo com a proposta cosmopolítica da filósofa belga Isabelle Stengers, configura uma alternativa teórico metodológica para pensar a existência de outras narrativas históricas e conferir agência a ontologias comumente invisibilizadas, entre elas as ameríndias. Para possibilitar essa compreensão, nosso argumento será dividido em dois momentos. No primeiro, a partir de um breve estudo de caso dos parlamentos hispano-mapuche no período colonial, faremos um exercício de interpretação da documentação à luz da cosmohistória e da cosmopolítica, de modo a comprovar que o fluxo de interação entre colonizadores espanhóis e indígenas mapuche transcende a relação unidirecional de dominação. No segundo, apresentaremos as vantagens heurísticas da perspectiva cosmohistórica e cosmopolítica, assim como sua capacidade de promoção de relações mais dialógicas e simétricas entre mundos históricos distintos.
Entre muros e pontes
Authors: Wright Cardoso Eduardo
Published: September 2024

As relações, contatos e distanciamentos entre a história e a retórica nunca deixaram de inquietar historiadores(as) e teóricos(as) da história, bem como oradores(as), retores(as) e filósofos(as). Se na Antiguidade o saber histórico tecia relações próximas com a prática retórica a ponto de ser possível caracterizar a historiografia antiga como uma “história retoricizada”, na época contemporânea esse legado e suas consequências produziram debates importantes, sobretudo, a partir da década de 1970 – momento caracterizado como “giro linguístico”, mas também denominado, sugestivamente, de “viragem retórica”. O que se verifica, portanto, é que da Antiguidade aos dias atuais, a história e a retórica enfrentaram tanto momentos de aproximação e contato quanto, igualmente, situações de ruptura e distanciamento. O intuito desse artigo é, pois, mapear, a partir de uma perspectiva contemporânea, dois encaminhamentos diversos acerca das relações entre os saberes histórico e retórico. Arnaldo Momigliano, na década de 1980, procura refutar as contribuições de Hayden White e vetar qualquer ligação entre a história e a retórica. Na década seguinte, Paul Ricoeur retoma o tema e oferece novas conclusões e desdobramentos. Assim, ambos respondem a White mobilizando não apenas concepções diversas de história e retórica mas, sobretudo, propondo construções antagônicas de contato e relação entre os saberes.
Artificial intelligence to predict major adverse cardiac events in absence of clinically known risk
Authors: Palmer Sarah Jane
Published: September 2024

Sarah Jane Palmer outlines a recent study that may change the way in which coronary computed tomography angiography is perceived and used.
ECG of the month
Authors: Bloe Charles
Published: September 2024

In this issue's ECG of the month, Charles Bloe presents the case of a 73-year-old woman who became acutely unwell at home. Guidance on recording posterior leads is provided.
Get ready for BSG Campus 2024
Authors:   BSGNS committee member
Published: September 2024

BJ Olsen writes about upcoming events and opportunities from the BSG Nurses' Section, including the BSG Campus, potential nursing session topics, elections and initiatives to celebrate the BSG's 90th birthday
A local noncollapsing estimate for mean curvature flow
Authors: Brendle Simon , Naff Keaton
Published: September 2024

abstract: We prove a local version of the noncollapsing estimate for mean curvature flow. By combining our result with earlier work of X.-J. Wang, it follows that certain ancient convex solutions that sweep out the entire space are noncollapsed.
Using Design-Based Implementation Research to Design the “Mentoring Through Tinkering” Youth Program
Authors: Seow Peter , Xue Haoran , Hung David , Ker Chin-Lee
Published: September 2024

Abstract: Program design is crucial in youth development, mentoring, after-school, and community-based programs. However, current approaches to youth program design are often limited by: 1) lack of clarity in intended program outcomes; 2) difficulties in adjusting programs to different contexts; and 3) long-term program sustainability. This paper addresses these challenges by exploring the application of Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR) and conjecture mapping in designing a youth program in Singapore. By emphasizing targeted outcomes, contextual considerations, and stakeholder experiences, the DBIR approach offers a promising solution to enhance youth program design. This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of DBIR and conjecture mapping in improving program design, while also acknowledging and discussing the contextual limitations and considerations of this approach.
Losing Kin, Choosing Kith: Child Autonomy beyond the Protectionist Nuclear Family in Operation Pied Piper
Authors: Honeyman Susan
Published: September 2024

Abstract: Analyzing the under-voiced perspectives of child evacuees in World War I Britain, this article takes a new look at Operation Pied Piper. In the context of middle-class family, an institution that shrunk into a “nuclear” form centered around the childhood it shaped, an enduring motif is the indirect threat of strangers like the Pied Piper, who might not just take one’s children—they can also demonstrate how parental devotion can be unreciprocated and how little control one has over one’s offspring. Stripped of sentimentality, the childhood depicted through such departures is one not just of danger but also of curiosity, freedom, and the room to be carefree, angry at, or chillingly indifferent toward one’s parents. Invoking the historical materialist perspective of family abolitionists recently revived by queer and xenofeminists, the legend of the Pied Piper and the wartime evacuation of children demonstrate possibilities for building extrafamilial bonds and identity.
A National Study of the Net Benefits of State Pension Plans for Educators
Authors: Toutkoushian Robert K. , Bathon Justin M. , McCarthy Martha M.
Published: September 2024

Although benefits can be a sizable part of an educator's total compensation, there has been little scholarly inquiry into the state pension plans for educators. Despite the fact that all defined benefit plans rely on the same basic formula for calculating annual pensions, they vary across states in the multiplier used, the method for calculating final average salary, the cost of participating in the plan, whether caps are imposed on first-year benefits, how cost-of-living increases are made, whether benefits are subject to state income taxes, and whether educators can retain Social Security benefits. All of these factors can influence the total pension received by educators. Educators are unlikely to know the net effect of the parameters used in each state's plan on their net benefits and how the net benefits compare across states. This study addresses this aspect of educator compensation by analyzing the differences among state-run defined benefit plans and how these plans can affect the net benefits for educators. The first portion of this article reviews the empirical and theoretical literature on retirement benefits and their effects on the labor market decisions of educators. The second section describes how to calculate the net benefits from state-run defined benefit plans, and how the components of these plans can affect an educator's retirement compensation. Next, data are used on the defined benefit plans for educators in 49 states to estimate the net retirement compensation for educators and demonstrate how the net benefits vary across states. Finally, this article concludes with some suggested implications of changes in pension systems for educators and directions for future research.
Estimating Resource Costs of Levy Campaigns in Five Ohio School Districts
Authors: Ingle W. Kyle , Petroff Ruth Ann , Johnson Paul A.
Published: September 2024

Using Levin and McEwan's (2001) "ingredients method," this study identified the major activities and associated costs of school levy campaigns in five districts. The ingredients were divided into one of five cost categories—human resources, facilities, fees, marketing, and supplies. As to overall costs of the campaigns, estimates ranged from a low of $9,164-$13,027 (District C) to a high of $121,053-$154,072 (District E). Costs per resident ranged from $1.35-$1.69 (District A) to $2.55-$3.25 (District E). However, costs per student ranged from a low of $6.55-$9.31 (District C) to a high of $17.54-$22.33 (District E). We find that community volunteers—and especially student volunteers—can be a valuable resource in that they incur lower costs than central office campaigns whose administrative salaries drive up opportunity costs.
Money for Music Education: A District Analysis of the How, What, and Where of Spending for Music Education
Authors: Fermanich Mark L.
Published: September 2024

Evidence suggests that accountability and financial pressures are causing schools across the country to reduce investments in subject areas that are not assessed for accountability purposes. However, due to the design of financial reporting systems in most states, inadequate data are available to analyze spending levels and patterns for specific subject areas that may help to shed light on the magnitude and ramifications of these actions. This article presents the findings of an in-depth analysis of expenditures for music education programs in a large suburban school district by breaking down the spending for music programs by school, object, and program area—such as general, instrumental, or choral music. The findings show district expenditures for music instruction comprised only about 1.6% of the district’s total operating budget. The source of most spending for music, 90%, was the district’s general fund. Nearly 90% of spending was for instructional staff salaries and benefits. While per pupil spending varied significantly from school to school, student characteristics such as poverty or minority status had little influence on this variation. Instead, factors such as total school spending, teacher education and experience, and music participation drove differences in school spending levels.
Colorado
Authors: Serna Gabriel , Weiler Spencer C.
Published: September 2024

The state of Colorado appears to be rebounding fiscally from the negative impact of the 2008 recession. Evidence of this recovery is found primarily in P–12 education funding trends. However, there is also proof of a brighter future when examining current funding trends in higher education in Colorado.
The Tangible Impact of School Finance Litigation
Authors: Lockridge Courtney , Maiden Jeffrey
Published: September 2024

The purpose of this study was to address the extent to which adequacy litigation functions as a means for improving student achievement, particularly among low-income and minority students. The study extended theory established in prior studies, and took into account the idea that change takes several years to realize and that sufficient time to fully implement the court’s decision and embark on a mission of reform may not have been possible with the two-year turnaround time provided for in past studies. Longitudinal NAEP data were examined to answer the research questions and contribute to current theory that deals with adequacy, school finance litigation, and student achievement. A primary finding from the study was that the filing of an adequacy lawsuit can contribute to student achievement outcomes for students overall and that litigation that results in a plaintiff victory can affect achievement among minority student populations, particularly in fourth grade. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that school finance litigation can contribute to overall reform efforts in education. However, with the many influences on student achievement, students living in poverty do not appear to benefit from adequacy litigation.
Strategies to Test for Private Student Loan Discrimination
Authors: Darolia Rajeev
Published: September 2024

Little is known about private student loan discrimination, in contrast to the relatively developed research on discrimination in other credit markets such as mortgages and credit cards. The private student lending market can play a key role in responding to changes in the policy or economic environment, and many students and their families turn to the private loan market in order to cover financial need that is unmet by publicly funded programs. This paper includes a review of strategies used to measure discrimination in other credit contexts and a consideration of the applicability of such techniques for use in testing for differential outcomes in the private student loan market. The aim of the paper is to connect extant credit market discrimination literature and models to private student loans and to suggest possible avenues for future inquiry into the topic. Although fair lending analyses from other contexts provide lessons for measuring discrimination in educational credit markets, there is a need for better data and a more developed understanding of decision making in educational credit markets.
Education, Cognitive Development, and Poverty: Implications for School Finance Policy
Authors: BenDavid-Hadar Iris
Published: September 2024

Child poverty is a growing problem that adversely affects both future society and the poor children themselves. This paper’s purpose is to investigate the intergenerational links between education and poverty. Israel serves as an interesting case study because it has exhibited an incremental trend in child poverty between 1980 and 2010 (from 5% to 35%). Regression analyses were conducted to measure the effect of the current generation’s features (i.e., education, income, and household investment in education) and of the state’s school finance policy on the next generation’s cognitive development. These analyses reveal that at the upper secondary school level, the education level, the income level, and the extent of household investment in education of the current generation of students in Hebrew-speaking schools have a high and positive effect on the next generation’s cognitive development in terms of high school matriculation eligibility. At the lower secondary level, school finance policy and the education level of the current generation both have a high positive effect on the next generation’s cognitive development in terms of academic achievement measured by math scores. In addition, the findings for the Arabic-speaking schools reveal that, at the upper secondary level, the income of the current generation has a high positive effect on the next generation’s cognitive development; at the lower secondary school level, the extent of household investment in education of the current generation has a high and positive effect on the next generation’s cognitive development. Policy implications are discussed, and a school finance policy reform is suggested as a strategy of breaking through the intergenerational cycle of poverty.
The Relationship Between Florida’s Traditional Schools, Education Management Organization Charters, and Hometown Charters Fiscal Revenues and Instructional Expenditures on Student Achievement
Authors: Larkin Brittany
Published: September 2024

This research explores the differences in revenue reported after accounting for charter funds passing through district budgets between Florida’s traditional schools and charter schools at both the state level and the individual district level. Differences in the percentage of the revenues the schools are expending on instructional services are also explored at both the state and district level. Finally, a statistically significant relationship between the schools revenue and instructional expenditures on student achievement is explored with each school model at the state and district level. Four implications are reported from the results found.
State Finance Policies for English Language Learners: New Findings from a 50-State Survey
Authors: Verstegen Deborah A.
Published: September 2024

abstract: This article provides new findings on state allocation policies to school districts for English Language Learners. Data were collected through a 50-state survey of education finance policies and programs sent to the Chief State School Officer or their designee. Information from all 50 states indicated that there is rising interest in providing assistance to English Learners, with a trend towards weighted student funding.
Does the Pay Stance of South Carolina Public School Districts Influence their Math and Science Achievement Scores?
Authors: Tran Henry
Published: September 2024

abstract: This study uses the framework of the Adverse Selection model of Efficiency Wage to examine whether the pay stance (i.e., lead, lag or match the market) of South Carolina public school districts influences their students’ math and science achievement outcomes. Four separate fixed effects regressions were estimated based on three years of panel data for South Carolina school districts, where districts’ percent of students who scored proficient or above on the Palmetto Assessment of State Standards math and science tests were regressed on their base pay rate stance for teachers (i.e., lead, lag or matched the labor market) with BA and MA degrees (MA) with zero years of experience, after accounting for a set of control variables. When appropriate controls are accounted for, districts’ improved performance as a result offering higher salaries represent a positive return on investment. Specfically, districts matching the labor market for teachers with BAs were more likely to experience a higher percentage of students who score proficient or above at science than districts lagging the market. In addition, enrollment and the number of years the superintendent led the district, were found to statistically significant predictors of students’ science performance. When it comes to math performance, the percent of district expenditures on instruction was found to be a positive predictor. In sum, this study provides further evidence that teacher pay policies may be a viable way to help improve students’ academic achievement.
The Relationship Between the Condition of Colorado Elementary School Facilities and Student Achievement
Authors: Brooks Edward , Weiler Spencer C.
Published: September 2024

abstract: The aim of this study was to measure the impact of the overall school facility condition for traditional Colorado elementary schools, according to Colorado's Facilities Conditions Index (FCI), on student achievement, as measured by the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP). Control variables included Special Education (SPED), English Language Learner (ELL), and Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL) populations. Hierarchical multiple regression (HMR) analyses were conducted to investigate this relationship between these variables in this correlational study. Results of the 24 analyses indicated little to no relationship between student achievement in traditional Colorado public elementary schools and school facility condition as the variables of CSAP and FCI had a weak negative relationship and exhibited little shared variance. Higher percentages of students scoring proficient or advanced on the CSAP were associated with better facility conditions and lower SPED, ELL, and FRL populations. Socioeconomic status, as indicated by FRL, was found to be the greatest predictor of student achievement.
A Within-School Equity Analysis of Teacher Resource Expenditures
Authors: Wolf Rebecca
Published: September 2024

abstract: If money matters, then school systems need to allocate it equitably among districts, schools, and individual students. Whether money is allocated equitably among students within the same school remains largely unknown. To date, a number of studies have analyzed the allocation of educational funding at either the district or the school level, but very few studies have done so for students within the same school. This study seeks to fill this gap in the literature by conducting a within-school equity analysis for all high school students in a large urban school district. This study also utilizes a theoretical and analytic approach to conducting an equity analysis developed specifically for the context of a student-level study. This study builds on Berne and Stiefel’s (1984) widely used equity evaluation framework and Toutkoushian and Michael’s (2007) modification thereof and uses hierarchical linear modeling to determine within-school equity of student-level expenditures. Results indicate that there were strikingly large differences in expenditures for students within the same high school and that expenditures were related to student characteristics in both equitable and inequitable ways. These findings suggest district and school leaders may be suboptimally allocating resources among individual students and may benefit from better information on how resources are ultimately allocated to students.
The Incentives and Costs of Program Coordination in P-12 Educational Leadership Programs
Authors: Ingle W. Kyle , Worth Joseph J. , Marshall Joanne M. , Hackmann Donald G.
Published: September 2024

abstract: Program coordination is typically relegated to service responsibilities of faculty members. Drawing upon data from multiple sources, including a cross-sectional survey sent to program coordinators at University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) member institutions, we sought to identify the incentives that institutions provide (or do not provide) for assuming program coordination responsibilities and to estimate the human resource costs of program coordination. Respondents reported spending an average of 17 hours a week on program coordination (σ =10.59). We estimated high ($43,428.84 to $124,400.64), medium ($26,367.51 to $75,528.96), and low estimates ($9,306.18 to $26,657.28) of program coordination human resource costs across a range of salaries and contract types as well as for the incentives provided to program coordinators. The most common incentive that institutions provide is the course release, which incurs adjunct costs. Our study adds to the limited research on program coordination in universities and our understanding of the costs and incentives offered for assuming these roles.
Charter Competition and District Finances: Evidence from California
Authors: Bruno Paul
Published: September 2024

abstract: Charter schools enroll a growing share of public school students, leading to concerns about the financial implications of charter schools for traditional public schools (TPSs). Using detailed expenditure data for school districts in California, I exploit variation in charter school enrollment across time and between districts to evaluate how district spending and overall financial health change as nearby charter sectors expand. I find that larger charter enrollment shares are associated with lower levels of per-pupil spending and reduced fiscal health in TPSs. However, these relationships in some cases exhibit significant nonlinearities and are much smaller in magnitude than what has been observed in other states. Consequently, larger charter enrollment shares are not associated with major differences in the proportion of expenditures allocated to various activities, goods, or services. Differences between these results and those from similar analyses in other states may be explicable in terms of California’s economic and policy context, providing lessons for policymakers.
The Impact of the Inequity of Capital Improvement Revenue on the Equity of Current Educational Expenditures among Oklahoma School Districts
Authors: Hime Shawn , Maiden Jeffrey
Published: September 2024

abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which students in districts that have moderate or significant levels of capital funding through building and bond funds are placed at a relative resource advantage compared to students in districts with fewer funds from these two sources. Additionally, the study examines the extent to which crossover funding impacts the equity of current education fiscal support. The results indicate that current operations funding in the state are distributed with a relatively high degree of fiscal equity, whereas capital funding is inequitably distributed. The existence of crossover funds has a small but significant effect on the equity of current operations funding.
Estimating an Equitable Distribution of Instructional Resources within an Institution
Authors: Holbeck Michael , Santos Joseph M.
Published: September 2024

abstract: In this empirical study, we propose how to estimate an equitable distribution of instructional resources across a target institution’s academic units—colleges, for example. We define an equitable distribution as one that is proportional to the distribution of direct instructional costs across the target institution’s academic units. We define these (counterfactual) costs to be the financial resources an academic unit would surrender in order to provide its instructional services if the prices and quantities of its various inputs were identical to those of its peers. Because direct instructional costs are not a matter of budgetary record, we must estimate them. Our method for doing so is it to take, for each academic unit in our target institution, the average of the discipline-specific, (actual) instructional expenses of the unit’s peer institutions. Thus, our method assumes that, on average, the discipline-specific instructional expenses incurred by the target institution’s peers reflect a discipline-specific average instructional-cost equilibrium for that peer group. Our instructional-expense data are from the Delaware Cost Study database. We reason that our findings, which we present based on our cost estimates for our institution (South Dakota State University), are typical of most baccalaureate, comprehensive, doctoral, and research institutions: the allocations of instructional budgetary resources are disproportional across colleges within the university; thus, relatively speaking, colleges are to some extent either overfunded or underfunded. One principal limitation of our empirical study is the imprecision inherent in identifying peer institutions.
The External Social and Economic Benefits of Higher Education: Empirical Evidence from Worldwide Data
Authors: Keller Katarina R. I.
Published: September 2024

abstract: This paper analyzes the effects of enrollment rates in higher education on its external social and economic benefits across countries globally since the 1960s. Global panel data regressions over time are used. The effects of enrollment rates in higher education have a multitude of benefits to society. Highly statistically significant effects are found, such as reducing poverty rates, infant mortality rates, and fertility rates. Enrollment rates in higher education augment political rights (i.e. democratization), as well as R&D expenditures. Equivalent regressions for sample splits of developed countries and less developed countries separately indicate similar results.
Modeling Volatility in Public Funding for Higher Education: An Analysis Using Propensity Forests
Authors: Doyle William R. , Dziesinski Amberly B. , Delaney Jennifer A.
Published: September 2024

abstract: A substantial body of literature has examined factors related to levels of public funding of higher education and to changes in public funding of higher education over the last few decades. Volatility in funding for higher education has not been examined in as much detail. Given the positive externalities associated with increasing the college educated population, volatile funding for higher education has the potential to hurt long-term economic and sociocultural development. In this study we seek to (1) propose different measures of volatility in state funding for higher education and (2) to establish which institution-and state-level factors are associated with higher levels of volatility in higher education funding. Our theoretical framework, derived from earlier work in this area, focuses on four broad areas that can drive volatility in funding: economic forces, political changes, governance arrangements, and institutional factors. In our preferred models, we find that, for unit-specific trends, two-year institutions experience substantially higher levels of volatility than four-year institutions, unemployment rates are associated with higher volatility, and higher tuition is associated with lower levels of volatility. When considering variation from the state-specific trend, governance arrangements may play some role in "buffering" institutions from volatility in spending, particularly if the governor appoints the State Higher Education Executive Officer.
Addressing the Gender Pay Gap: The Influence of Female and Male Dominant Disciplines on Gender Pay Equity
Authors: Buckman David G. , Jackson Tommy E.
Published: September 2024

abstract: This study used Kanter’s (1997) Tokenism theory to analyze the relationship between gender and faculty salaries in Georgia higher education institutions to determine whether pay inequity existed between male and female professors in 2018. Two separate mixed-effect regression models were estimated on a 2018 cross-sectional survey dataset of Georgia higher education faculty members where faculty demographic characteristics (i.e., gender and academic discipline) were regressed on their annual base salaries. When controlling for demographics and occupational characteristics, female faculty received significantly lower salaries than their male counterparts. In addition, when controlling for academic discipline and grouping those disciplines vis-a-vis male dominant and female dominant, males in female-dominant disciplines earned significantly more money than females, and females in male-dominant disciplines earned more money than males. Additional findings support negotiable salaries as a significant contributor to higher pay.