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Background and objective: This study aims to understand the reasons people avoid or delay HCV treatment and identify potential pathways that can increase the uptake of HCV treatment from a health systems perspective. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 15 participants who were HCV positive and had a history of active or recent injecting drug use were conducted. Thematic and framework analyses based on an integrated framework by Høj and colleagues were used to identify barriers and opportunities to HCV treatment. Results: The study identified barriers and enablers to HCV treatment at individual, socio-structural, and system levels. Competing priorities, unstable housing, and stigma were barriers, while engagement in opioid agonist therapy and peer support were enablers. Misinformation, limited OAT prescribers, and gaps in care coordination, especially within the prison system, were identified as missed opportunities at the system level, while organizational support and respectful relationships with service providers were key to engagement. Conclusions: Person-centered care addressing the specific needs of PWID, such as housing, and drug and alcohol treatment, should be enhanced, and HCV care embedded within these services. Strengthening care pathways, especially within and between prisons and other primary care services, is urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: American Indian (AI) adolescents report earlier initiation and higher rates of cannabis and alcohol use compared to their non-AI peers. Simultaneous cannabis and alcohol (SCA) use is increasingly common. A primary goal of our research was to identify profiles of cannabis and alcohol use, including SCA use, among AI adolescents using latent class analysis (LCA). Method: Data from 1,673 7th–12th grade students attending 45 reservation-area schools throughout the United States who reported using alcohol and/or cannabis in the past year were used to identify the latent classes. Multinomial logistic regression analysis determined associations of sex, grade, and multiethnicity to class membership. Results: A four-class solution was found: (1) SCA-Heavier Use (16.1%); (2) SCA-Lighter Use (25.2%); (3) Primarily Cannabis Use (33.3%); and (4) Primarily Alcohol Use (25.4%). Multinomial regression showed higher grade, identifying as multiethnic, and being female were associated with higher likelihood of membership in the SCA class. Conclusion: AI adolescents were more likely to be classified in the Primarily Cannabis Use class as compared to all other classes. Characterizing profiles of use may help identify those engaging in risky or co-use and help researchers and clinicians better understand how AI adolescents engage with alcohol and marijuana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:The secondhand effects of alcohol use (SEA) are adverse consequences caused by another's drinking. This study explored the relationship among the experience of SEAs, alcohol use, and alcohol related consequences (ARC). In addition, we examined whether coping (i.e., adaptive, maladaptive, substance use coping, maladaptive coping without substance use items) served as a moderator of SEA effects on alcohol outcomes. Method: 1,168 students completed a survey assessing SEA, alcohol outcomes, ARC, and coping strategies. Results: SEA was significantly positively associated with alcohol use (RRheavydrinking = 1.05, SE = 0.005, p <.01; RRAUDIT = 1.04, SE =.005, p <.01) as well as ARC (RR = 1.06, SE =.005, p <.01). Various forms of maladaptive coping moderated the relationship between SEA and alcohol outcomes. Conclusion: This study provided evidence for a relationship between SEA and more alcohol use and ARC. This relationship was exacerbated by maladaptive coping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a response to a symposium on Mandeville's Fable, written by Robin Douglass from King's College London. The author addresses objections raised by participants in the symposium, focusing on two main points. First, the author discusses the origins of society and moral virtue according to Mandeville, highlighting the role of laws and politics in moderating self-centered passions. Second, the author responds to criticism regarding Mandeville's use of satire and his intentions in writing. The author acknowledges the complexity of Mandeville's literary choices and suggests that his analysis can be compatible with a range of political and social perspectives. The text also explores various perspectives on Bernard Mandeville's understanding of pride and hypocrisy, addressing questions raised by other scholars. It examines the distinctions between well-regulated self-liking and pride, as well as the social consequences of displays of self-esteem. The text acknowledges that Mandeville's analysis may be overstated but argues that his theory of sociability centered around pride offers valuable insights. [Extracted from the article]

Scripture encourages parents to pass on faith to children, and a multitude of studies show that the biggest predictor of the faith of kids is the faith of their parents. However, raising kids in faith is more complicated and nuanced than simple "parent to child" religious transmission. In this paper, animal family models are used to explore the relationship between congregations and families. By engaging instructions from scripture, research on changing household structures, and contemporary perspectives on parenting, this paper offers a new way of thinking about religious transmission within intergenerational family relationships and the uniquely central role for congregations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This rapid communication describes a lithic blade that was recently recovered during excavations in the Velondriake Marine Protected Area in southwest Madagascar. This represents the only recorded archaeological lithic blade recovered from southwest Madagascar. The blade was recovered in situ at a depth of 1.66 m, a deposit dating to between 750 and 1200 BP at site G134, adjacent to the modern village of Antsaragnasoa. While similar in material choice (translucent-brown chert) and morphology (parallel-sided blade) to other lithics recovered at the northern sites of Ambohiposa and Lakaton'i Anja, it is significantly larger than other recorded lithics on Madagascar. More research is required but this finding suggests that lithic technology may have been more widespread on the island, particularly among coastal communities, than previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrant and ethnic minority groups are underrepresented in alcohol and other drug (AOD) research. This qualitative study explored AOD use among young people from migrant and ethnic minority backgrounds in Melbourne, Australia. We conducted one focus group and 16 interviews and thematically analyzed data drawing on the social-ecological model of health. Theme one showed AOD use was considered a "normal" part of youth identity, particularly for participants who had grown up with peer groups in Australia. Theme two highlighted participant's sense of responsibility to meet expectations and make informed decisions about AOD use to protect themselves and their friends. Theme three highlighted participant's risk of experiencing AOD-related stigma through negative stereotypes and fear of consequences within families and communities, particularly among female participants. Participants' perceptions and experiences differed by individual factors, interpersonal relationships, AOD accessibility across settings and broader gender, cultural and religious norms. Interventions developed with young people from migrant and ethnic minority backgrounds are needed to target the social-ecological factors underpinning AOD use, particularly stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a systematic review of studies assessing the effects of polychromatic (white) ambient light on mood in healthy adults. We hypothesized that higher melanopic equivalent daylight illuminances (EDI) would be associated with better mood. The search identified 2,994 publications, of which 14 met inclusion criteria. The resulting database included the spectral power distributions, illuminances, mood measures, and methods. We used the CIE S026 toolbox to calculate the five α-opic EDI values to characterize the light exposures in each study. Regression models tested the associations between predictors α-opic EDI, duration, and timing, and the outcome, mood. The results showed that none of the five α-opic values were significantly associated with mood (all estimates <0.044, p >.490). A longer duration of light exposure (all estimates <0.154, p <.018) and timing of light exposure in the morning (all estimates <0.233, p <.001) were associated with better mood, but these effects did not persist after adjusting for the data being nested within studies. Average mood scores remained reasonably consistent across different α-opic EDI profiles, suggesting that exposure profiles might not influence mood. Notably, none of the studies included had an experimental condition with a peak for melanopic EDI greater than the other α-opic EDI values, therefore the hypothesized association between melanopic EDI and mood could not be tested. Future research designs should contrast selected light parameters to identify the photoreceptors involved in the processes of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: College students report high rates of alcohol use and negative alcohol-related consequences (ARC). Many studies document that protective behavioral strategy (PBS) use is negatively associated with ARC. Few studies examine consequence severity and PBS helpfulness, both of which may provide nuance to this relationship. Participants and method: The current study used latent profile analysis to examine variability in PBS use, PBS helpfulness, ARC count, and ARC severity patterns among college students (n = 1156). We identified latent profiles and differences in alcohol use and drinking motives across profiles. Results: Three profiles best represented the data: (1) high PBS/low consequences, (2) moderate PBS/moderate consequences, (3) low PBS/high consequences. Conclusions: College students endorsing stronger drinking motives might be less likely to use and select helpful PBS and might experience more severe ARC. Results suggest that simple modifications to common measures can add depth of understanding and nuance to the examination of alcohol-related behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meeting for the first time in Jakarta in the early 1980s, Gavin Jones and I encountered a great mystery: how had decades of slowgrowing, involuting cities in Asia suddenly become a new era of accelerated urbanisation producing mega-urban regions (MURs) with population sizes having no historical precedent? With collaborators in 6 MURs, in 2000 we launched a book project presenting our solution to the mystery. We showed how MUR formations extended far beyond core cities by incorporating towns and villages into their daily orbits. Our findings illuminate key issues at stake, including increasing disparities in life chances over space, rising risks of global climate change, and complexities of MUR governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reconstructs Bernard Mandeville's pride-centred theory of recognition and advances two main arguments. First, I maintain that Mandeville really did regard pride as a vice and took the prevalence of this passion as evidence of our morally compromised nature. Mandeville's account of pride may have been indebted to French neo-Augustinian moralists, yet I show that the moral connotations he associated with the passion are based on a naturalistic analysis of our moral psychology and do not depend upon endorsing any theological assumptions about our fallen condition. Second, I offer a qualified defence of Mandeville's pride-centred theory against other eighteenth-century philosophers – Archibald Campbell, David Hume and Adam Smith – who presented the desire for social esteem in a more positive light. Even if there is nothing troubling about a moderate and well-regulated desire for esteem, I suggest that Mandeville's analysis remains deeply unsettling in so far as it reveals the extent of pride behind our desire for recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined transport behaviors and drink and drug driving beliefs among music festival attendees as festivals are a risk environment for drink and drug driving. Overall, 2305 participants from 23 Australian festivals self-completed a questionnaire, with logistic regression used to examine correlates of drink and drug driving beliefs. Most participants attending regional music festivals travelled by car (81% to and 77% from festival) and shared driving with friends; those attending metropolitan festivals used more transport options including public transport (35%–36% from festival) and ride share services (31%–38% from festival). Most participants endorsed consuming fewer than 5 drinks in the six hours before driving (88%) and avoiding illicit drug use 24 hours before driving (22%). Heavier alcohol consumption was associated with less-safe drink driving beliefs and older age was associated with less-safe drug driving beliefs. Sharing driving with friends was associated with safer drink and drug driving beliefs. Increased transport options are needed at regional music festivals. Drink and drug driving programs could tailor messaging for people with heavy alcohol consumption and young adults beyond early years of driving. Experiences of sharing the journey with friends should be considered in road safety initiatives at festivals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

College students represent a large portion of the population, and report high rates of cannabis use and related negative outcomes, including interpersonal problems, risky behaviors, or physical dependency. The contexts in which students use cannabis (e.g., at a party, when feeling down or depressed, after a fight with a loved one) likely affect their risk of experiencing consequences. We aimed to discern profiles of cannabis use contexts and compare profiles on use frequency, consequences, and the use of cannabis protective behavioral strategies (PBS). College students were surveyed regarding their cannabis use contexts, frequency, consequences, and PBS use (n = 265; female = 72.8%). We used Latent Profile Analysis to identify patterns of cannabis use contexts and auxiliary testing to compare profiles on use frequency, consequences, and PBS use. Our examination revealed three latent profiles of cannabis use. The Social Use Profile was associated with use in predominantly social/uplifting contexts. The Physical & Emotional Pain Profile was also associated with use in these contexts but was defined by additional use in response to pain. The All Contexts Profile was associated with frequent use in all contexts, including those that were least endorsed by the other profiles. Profiles differed in cannabis use frequency, PBS use, and the number of consequences experienced, such that profiles were more likely to be associated with more frequent cannabis use, higher risk of experiencing use-consequences, and using fewer PBS as the number of use contexts increased across the profiles. The contexts in which people use cannabis are associated with cannabis risk and protection. Prevention and intervention efforts may benefit from considering contexts of cannabis use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine global participatory action research (PAR) that embodies five key elements of the Ignatian Pedagogy Paradigm (IPP): context, experience, reflection, action, and evaluation by analyzing narrative accounts from ten cohorts of Miller Center's Lewis Family Fellowship, a nine-month team-based PAR program at Santa Clara University. Student-teams work with social enterprises in the Global South to advance the common good. Contributions include the importance of integrating spiritual frameworks into PAR to meet the needs of young people in their search for meaning and purpose, and how inculcating the IPP in college may become a lifelong practice post-graduation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examining representation in the work of David Marriott, this essay engages the role affect plays in mediating the negrophobic and negrophilic effects of lynching. By specifically taking up Marriott’s discussion of lynching alongside his elaborations of racial fetishism , this essay considers how the desire for lactification is (re)produced through the Black male’s confrontation with racial terror as disembodiment. The personal narratives of lynching survivor James Cameronare revisited in curious correlation with an interview reaction to the film Get Out (2017) given by a Black male movie goer. The central concern here is to critically mediate how the movie goer, who does not witness a lynching , upon exiting the theatre reproduces a similar affect to Cameron . Engaging racial fetishism as elaborated by Marriott through the work of Frantz Fanon exposes how one can be captured by a cultural fantasy that is passed down without a sustained referent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the run-up to the U.S. 2022 midterm elections, Republicans brought their fight to regain control of Congress to school districts across the country. Deploying a national disinformation campaign regarding how issues of race and racism are taught in K-12 public schools, astroturf1 conservative advocacy organizations mobilized activists to descend on school board meetings and upend school board elections nationwide demanding an end to indoctrination of children with critical race theory (CRT). These efforts created a chilling effect among superintendents and school board members committed to advancing equity, anti-racism, and social justice. In this descriptive, conceptual paper, we portray and analyze the national campaign against CRT and equity in schools, how it played out at the local school district level, and its implications for superintendents and school board members leading for equity. Tenets of critical policy analysis are used to frame and organize our analysis of the national disinformation campaign to include policy documents, blog posts, news coverage, and related materials that illustrate its impact on local school districts. We conclude with a discussion of how superintendents and school board members committed to equity leadership must understand how the politics of race and effective use of political spectacle can undermine local efforts to advance equity and social justice in schools, and consider the far-reaching consequences for the future of public education in the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 30 years, there has been substantial debate about the practical, ethical and epistemological issues uniquely associated with qualitative data sharing. In this paper, we contribute to these debates by examining established data sharing practices in Conversation Analysis (CA). CA is an approach to the analysis of social interaction that relies on audio/video recordings of naturally occurring human interactions and moreover works at a level of detail that presents challenges for assumptions about participant anonymity. Nonetheless, data sharing occupies a central position in both the methodology and the wider academic culture of CA as a discipline and a community. Despite this, CA has largely been ignored in qualitative data sharing debates and discussions. We argue that the methodological traditions of CA present a strong case for the value of qualitative data sharing and offer open data sharing practices that might be usefully adopted in other qualitative approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An assessment of the total number, demographics and geographic distribution of optometrists in Australia may inform policy to address the maldistribution of the workforce. Concerns have been expressed about the growth of the optometry workforce in the context of, in the last decade, the establishment of four new optometry programs in addition to the three long-standing programs. This paper analysed data obtained from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency about registered optometrists during the period 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2019. The de-identified dataset included information about registered optometrists in Australia: their first year of registration, gender, year of birth (in five-year bands), optometry qualification, registration type including endorsement for therapeutic practice and the postcode of the principal place of practice. Data for 6,596 registrants were obtained over the study period during which the number of female optometrists increased significantly. The age profile of the profession shifted, with younger age bands becoming a significantly greater proportion of the profession. The majority of the profession comprised optometrists with a qualification from one of the three long-standing Australian optometry programs. Graduates of those programs accounted for 75.1% of registered optometrists in 2019, while 14.3% held a qualification from an overseas institution. The proportion of optometrists practising in major Australian cities was greater than the proportion of the population in those locations. A concomitant low proportion of optometrists, relative to population size, was found in regional and remote areas. Optometrists practising in Australia can be generalised as mostly female graduates of one of the three long-standing optometry programs holding general registration with a therapeutic endorsement, and with a principal place of practice located in a major Australian city. A significant maldistribution of the workforce was found that did not change significantly during the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The letter to the editor critiques a cost-effectiveness analysis of velmanase alfa (VA) for alpha-mannosidosis treatment, pointing out limitations in the modeling approach used. While the study suggests that VA is not cost-effective compared to other treatments, it fails to consider key symptoms and relies on data from studies that did not specifically address VA efficacy. In contrast, the UK's NICE recommended VA for non-neurological symptoms of alpha-mannosidosis in children under 18, based on a Markov model incorporating long-term efficacy data. The letter emphasizes the need for caution in interpreting the results of the cost-effectiveness analysis and highlights the importance of ongoing research to refine understanding of treatment options for alpha-mannosidosis. [Extracted from the article]

The dialysis cohort in Australia, as in other parts of the world, is becoming increasingly elderly and frail. The incidence of dialysis withdrawal prior to death is also increasing, often driven by clinical deterioration and/or psychosocial factors. Despite expertise in the biomedical aspects of dialysis, nephrologists may feel less equipped to explore the existential and spiritual aspects influencing a patient's decision-making. We present the case of an elderly woman for whom dialysis became increasingly challenging and burdensome as her global condition deteriorated. Despite multiple discussions being held regarding elective cessation of dialysis the treating team was unable to progress to a decision to withdraw. Shortly before her death the patient revealed, for the first time, the key influences of her religious beliefs to the community-based palliative care team. She described a strong Catholic faith and although unafraid of death itself, she was fearful that her decision to stop dialysis would be akin to suicide and therefore a mortal sin. Her condition deteriorated before these concerns could be further explored and she died in the intensive care setting with a high level of intervention. All people have a spiritual dimension that may influence their attitudes towards death and medical decision-making. If not elucidated, it can create barriers to appropriate care, as in this patient. There are many approaches to exploring these domains including validated tools to support clinicians who have not received dedicated training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence systems are becoming increasingly available as diagnostic aids for optometric practice. These perform well but are often 'black-box' systems offering little or no insight into how a decision was reached. While there is potential for artificial intelligence to improve patient outcomes, clinicians without training in computer science may find it difficult to ascertain whether these technologies are suitable for their practice, or how they should be used. This review provides an overview of how artificial intelligence systems work in optometry, their strengths, weaknesses, and regulatory considerations. A checklist is provided for appraising a system, covering regulatory approvals, ascertaining what the system can and cannot do, how it can be used in practice, whether it is suitable for the clinical population, and whether the outputs can be explained. Artificial intelligence has the potential to improve accuracy and efficiency in many areas of optometry if used correctly, and should be embraced by clinicians as an assistive tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The education of the future health care workforce is fundamental to ensuring safe, effective, and inclusive patient care. Despite this there has been chronic underinvestment in health care education and, even though there is an increased need for educators, the true number of medical educators has been in relative decline for over a decade. In this paper, we focus on the role of doctors as medical educators. We reflect on the culture in which medical education and training are delivered, the challenges faced, and their origins and sustaining factors. We propose a re-framing of this culture by applying Maslow's principles of the hierarchy of needs to medical educators, not only as individuals but as a specialist group and to the system in which this group works, to instigate actionable change and promote self-actualization for medical educators. Promoting and supporting the work of doctors who are educators is critically important. Despite financial investment in some practice areas, overall funding for and the number of medical educators continues to decline. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) schemes such as those offered by specialised medical education associations are welcomed, but without time, funding and a supportive culture from key stakeholders, medical educators cannot thrive and reach their potential. We need to revolutionise the culture in which medical education is practised, where medical educators are valued and commensurately rewarded as a diverse group of specialists who have an essential role in training the health care workforce to support the delivery of excellent, inclusive health care for patients. By reimagining the challenges faced as a hierarchy we show that until the fundamental needs of value, funding and time are realised, it will remain challenging to instigate the essential change that is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current pilot study assesses the use of real-time auditory feedback to help reduce abnormal movements during an active reaching task in patients with chronic stroke. 20 patients with chronic stroke completed the study with full datasets (age: M = 53 SD = 14; sex: male = 75%; time since stroke in months: M = 34, SD = 33). Patients undertook 100 repetitions of an active reaching task while listening to self-selected music which automatically muted when abnormal movement was detected, determined by thresholds set by clinical therapists. A within-subject design with two conditions (with auditory feedback vs. without auditory feedback) presented in a randomised counterbalanced order was used. The dependent variable was the duration of abnormal movement as a proportion of trial duration. A significant reduction in the duration of abnormal movement was observed when patients received auditory feedback, F(1,18) = 9.424, p = 0.007, with a large effect size (partial η 2 = 0.344). Patients with chronic stroke can make use of real-time auditory feedback to increase the proportion of time they spend in optimal movement patterns. The approach provides a motivating framework that encourages high dose with a key focus on quality of movement. Trial Registration: ISRCTN12969079 ISRTCN trial registration REF: ISRCTN12969079 Movement quality during upper limb rehabilitation should be targeted as part of a well-balanced rehabilitation programme. Auditory feedback is a useful tool to help patients with chronic stroke reduce compensatory movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This clinical case example illustrates the benefits of a feminist approach to therapy in addressing the unique experiences of gender questioning adolescents. We will illustrate the successful use of feminist therapy in our work with a biracial, bisexual, adolescent client who reported questioning his gender expression and gender identity. The client used he/him/his pronouns at the time of our work together; we also regularly checked in with our client about pronouns throughout our sessions. The authors conducted co-therapy with this client, working as a treatment team. Feminist therapy offers an affirmative, intersectional, and strengths-based approach to work with gender diverse clients. Feminist therapy is particularly well-suited to this work because it explicitly connects the personal with the socio-political. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article quantifies Daasanach water insecurity experiences in northern Kenya, examines how water insecurity is associated with water borrowing and psychosocial stress, and evaluates if water borrowing mitigates the stress from water insecurity. Of 133 households interviewed in seven communities, 94.0% were water insecure and 74.4% borrowed water three or more times in the prior month. Regression analyses demonstrate water-borrowing frequency moderates the relationship between water insecurity and psychosocial stress. Only those who rarely or never borrowed water reported greater stress with higher water insecurity. The coping mechanism of water borrowing may help blunt water insecurity-related stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bigeye Chub (Hybopsis amblops) once inhabited streams and rivers in eastern and southeastern Illinois and was thought to be extirpated in the state by the 1970s. However, it was rediscovered in the 1990s from the Little Vermilion River. Today, H. amblops has become widespread and locally abundant in streams of the Wabash River drainage. Currently, little is known about the spawning and reproductive ecology of H. amblops. We conducted a study in the Salt Fork Vermilion River to determine the spawning schedule and microhabitats of H. amblops. Based upon near-weekly samples in May and June in 2019 and 2021, we determined H. amblops spawns in moderate water velocity over sandy gravel substrates when water temperatures are between 18–22 °C. Understanding such ecological traits is necessary for the continued success of H. amblops throughout its range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The viability of using the impulse approximation scattering function in Monte Carlo photon transport simulations is explored. This scattering function can be constructed from the double differential incoherent scattering cross section developed by Ribberfors and Berggren [Phys. Rev. A., Vol 26, p. 3325 (1982)]. A commonly used method for modeling photon Doppler broadening, which is referred to as the hybrid Doppler broadening method, can also be derived from this cross section. A new photon Doppler broadening method, called the consistent Doppler broadening method, is derived and discussed. This method eliminates some of the commonly employed approximations in the hybrid Doppler broadening method, in part, by using the impulse approximation scattering function. Integrated incoherent cross sections generated using the impulse approximation scattering function and the widely used Waller-Hartree scattering function are in good agreement above 20 keV. Below 20 keV, differences as high as 70% are observed, which differs from the roughly 5% differences observed by Ribberfors [Phys. Rev. A., Vol. 27, p. 3061 (1983)] for some of the materials. Integral and spectral quantities for two problems are also generated using the Monte Carlo photon transport capabilities of the Framework for Research in Nuclear Science and Engineering. Due to the small, relative result differences observed when using the impulse approximation scattering function, it is considered a viable alternative to the Waller-Hartree scattering function. In addition, some small, but expected, differences in spectral fluxes at low energies can be avoided by adopting the consistent Doppler broadening method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Findings: A constellation of social positions of difference can contribute to substantial variation among children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds. Using data from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2009 cohort, the present study identified intersectional typologies of cultural minority backgrounds and examined their associations with school readiness among CLD children in Head Start. Latent class analysis was used to identify intersectional CLD typologies that were inferred from five cultural minority indicators, including child's racial minority status, maternal and paternal nativity status, non-English speaking primary parent, and non-English speaking families. Four latent typologies were identified: a) CLD-Race, b) CLD-Race/immigrant, c) CLD-Race/multilingualism, and d) CLD-Race/immigrant/non-English dominant. Multilevel models revealed differences in school readiness at the start and end of Head Start by typology. Practice or Policy: Our findings shed light on the importance of looking at the intersections of cultural minority characteristics to understand different strengths and needs across CLD children. Incorporating intersectionality theory into early education research and federally-funded early intervention programs may be useful to more precisely identify the diverse needs of CLD subgroups and assist early educators in tailoring and differentiating instruction accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It should be noted that all of the students in the class are required to take several mathematics and science content courses as well as an educational technology class prior to participation in this course. In an effort to move toward a more STEM-focused program, the faculty decided that, instead of two separate classes, the science and math methods courses should be taught as one integrated STEM course. With this in mind, the two faculty members along with a third professor with expertise in educational technology combined these two courses to develop a six-credit hour STEM education opportunity that included time in field placements in elementary (K-6) math and science classrooms. [Extracted from the article]

The authors examine the impact of a new online learning system on student performance in a core finance course required of all business majors. They find that the online learning system significantly reduces the number of students that withdraw from the course prior to course completion. Additionally, the benefits of a lower withdrawal rate transcend all modalities of course delivery and are greatest for students with declared majors outside of finance. Finally, though use of the online learning system reduces the withdrawal rate of students, it does not appear to result in significant grade inflation among those students completing the course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanessa is a youth-led service promoting road safety at music festivals. We conducted a cross-sectional survey at 23 festivals in Victoria, Australia to investigate alcohol and illicit drug use among attendees aged ≥16 years who visited Vanessa. Participants completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption (AUDIT-C) and reported recent illicit drug use and intentions to use drugs at festivals. Multinomial and logistic regression identified correlates of risky drinking and drug use. 2305 participants were recruited (60% female, median age 22). Most (98%) consumed alcohol in the past year and 26% had high-risk AUDIT-C scores. Almost half (48%) reported recent drug use and 24% intended to use drugs at festivals. Females had lower odds than males of recent drug use [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=0.49, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.38, 0.62], intending to use drugs at festivals (AOR = 0.60, CI = 0.45, 0.80) and lower risk of high-risk drinking (adjusted relative risk ratio (ARRR)=0.35, CI = 0.27, 0.47). Attending electronic music festivals was associated with high-risk drinking (ARRR = 2.07, CI = 1.14, 3.72), recent drug use (AOR = 2.23, CI = 1.42, 3.51) and intending to use drugs at festivals (AOR = 1.90, CI = 1.15, 3.14). Vanessa was a useful setting to reach young people reporting risky alcohol consumption and illicit drug use. Genre of music festivals may be useful for tailoring harm reduction strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education focused learning spaces vis-à-vis science education in the US public schools. These STEM learning spaces mostly take place in informal learning spaces such as STEM makerspace, coding academies, and STEM camps. With this emphasis, teachers teaching science in elementary grades may find themselves being asked to teach in STEM focused learning spaces that lay outside of their areas of expertise in science teaching to teach STEM concepts and skills (e.g., computational thinking, 3-D Modeling, TinkerCAD). This problem is further compounded by the fact that many informal spaces (e.g., STEM makerspaces) are now being integrated into formal school structures and schedules. This paper shares findings by examining the preparation of elementary pre-service teachers for teaching in one informal space—a STEM makerspace. We used an exploratory qualitative design method and share results that indicate including preparation in informal STEM teaching may be beneficial in one elementary teacher preparation program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

“Criminals,” particularly sex offenders, are thought of as an indistinguishable, homogenous group by society, despite the variety of offenses they commit, with differing levels of severity, impact, and outcome. Perceptions of criminal behavior also fail to recognize that everyone engages in norm-violating/unlawful/immoral behavior at one time or another. This view of offending, that it is something “other” dangerous people do, combined with the tendency to generalize across varied behaviors and experiences, has resulted in the construct of the sex offender as a “monster.” This has implications for how sex offenders are treated at each stage of the criminal justice process resulting in a problematic approach to sex offenders, one that is not centered on evidence and is, ultimately, not in anyone’s best interests. Specifically, the dialogue results in: lower confession rates, lower conviction rates, ineffective treatment/rehabilitation, and a cycle of violence that causes severe harm within society, as a whole. This paper will address each stage (e.g., investigative interviewing, sentencing, etc.), showing the ways that social constructions have had an adverse effect, how the treatment of sex offenders at each stage is contrary to best practise/the evidence, and will provide recommendations for future research and policy decisions that are in line with the evidence base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new rejection sampling methods for generating samples from the adjoint Klein-Nishina cross section are discussed: the two-branch rejection sampling procedure, the three-branch linear rejection sampling procedure and the three-branch inverse rejection sampling procedure. These methods have all been implemented in the Framework for REsearch in Nuclear ScIence and Engineering (FRENSIE). The efficiency and sample generation rate of each of these methods are evaluated to characterize the methods and to make recommendations regarding their use. The use of these methods in realistic transport simulations is also evaluated by incorporating a scattering function into the sampling process. The results of an infinite medium problem are presented to verify that the sampling procedure can be used in an adjoint Monte Carlo simulation to generate results that are in agreement with an equivalent forward simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms by which high quality, two-generation early childhood services promote healthy child development remain unclear. This research examined how participation in Early Head Start (EHS), a U.S. two-generation programme for children under 3, was associated with healthy child development to age 5 through parenting processes. Using four time points of data from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project, we tested a theory-driven model of direct and indirect pathways from EHS to children's language, social-emotional, and behavioural skills from age 1 to age 5 via parenting stress and practices. Results from longitudinal structural equation models for 2,555 mother–child dyads indicated that EHS participation was associated with increased responsive parenting during the very early years, improvements in children's language during the toddler years and, in turn, sustained language improvements through age 5. Long-term impacts of two-generation programmes may promote positive child outcomes in part by facilitating responsive parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the last several years, many institutions of higher learning annually have conducted venture pitch competitions. The competition allows students to experience a taste of entrepreneurship. Quite often, these competitions are performed in parallel with entrepreneurship courses. During the spring of 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic threat became evident, higher education, much like the rest of society, had to make hard choices and adapt to a threat that wasn't fully realized at the time. This case introduces the venture pitch at one such institution, known as the Entrepreneurial Challenge (EC). The case further discusses the impact of COVID-19, and the changes, lessons learned, and suggested best practices of the EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intersecting intellectual virtues and lived experiences: democratizing science learning We overlay lived experiences within the larger conversation of intellectual virtues, including scientific virtues. Hagenah and Thompson ([3]) examined teachers' contextualization of science phenomena to capitalize on "students' everyday lived experiences in meaningful ways and connect them to classroom content" (p. 3). [Extracted from the article]

Informants are witnesses who often testify in exchange for an incentive (i.e. jailhouse informant, cooperating witness). Despite the widespread use of informants, little is known about the circumstances surrounding their use at trial. This study content-analyzed trials from 22 DNA exoneration cases involving 53 informants. Because these defendants were exonerated, the prosecution informant testimony is demonstrably false. Informant characteristics including motivation for testifying, criminal history, relationship with the defendant and testimony were coded. Most informants were prosecution jailhouse informants; however, there were also defence jailhouse informants and prosecution cooperating witnesses. Regardless of informant type, most denied receiving an incentive, had criminal histories, were friends/acquaintances of the defendant and had testimonial inconsistencies. In closing statements, attorneys relied on informant testimony by either emphasizing or questioning its reliability. The impact of informant testimony on jurors' decisions is discussed in terms of truth-default theory (TDT), the fundamental attribution error and prosecutorial vouching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extraordinary number of young children are exposed to trauma that impacts their development and well-being. Early care and education (ECE) programs are uniquely positioned to support children exposed to trauma yet may lack access to resources and professional development to enhance their capacity to deliver trauma-informed care. Using a qualitative multiple case study methodology, this study investigated how five urban ECE programs adopted new trauma-informed practices as a result of participating in a collaborative model for professional learning. This model, called the Breakthrough Series Collaborative, is designed to build both individual and organizational capacity to implement new practices and is supported by theoretical frameworks from organizational and improvement science. The study explored the changes that occurred at the individual, classroom, and organizational levels. Results suggest changes in knowledge and attitudes about trauma, empathy, and teacher empowerment; classroom and practice level shifts including social and emotional teaching and family centered communication; and at the organizational level a more caring and collaborative workplace culture and improved interagency collaboration. The results further suggest that professional development delivered at the organizational level may support the coordinated implementation of new TIC practices by both teachers and administrators building organizational capacity to improve and sustain these practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction This study examined feminist identification and conformity to traditional gender norms as predictors of transphobic attitudes. Method Data was collected among an online, MTurk sample of 290 adult cisgender women and men. Results: Feminist beliefs and self-labeling were independently associated with decreased transphobia among cisgender women, but not among cisgender men. Conformity to the masculine norms of heterosexual self-presentation and emotional control were significantly, independently associated with increased transphobia, whereas risk-taking was associated with decreased transphobia. Conformity to the traditional feminine norm of Sexual Fidelity was significantly associated with increased transphobia. Conclusions Practical and policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Half of college student attrition occurs in the first year of college, so identifying factors that contribute to student satisfaction is an important target for research. Knowledge and use of one's strengths are two such variables associated with academic and life satisfaction, but studies establishing these relations have been largely cross-sectional. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine longitudinal relations from strengths knowledge to strengths use and from strengths use to academic and life satisfaction. While strengths knowledge consistently predicted strengths use over time and strengths use consistently predicted academic satisfaction over time, strengths use did not predict life satisfaction over time. These results have implications for strengths research broadly and for higher education personnel working with first year college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing awareness of the negative effects of ethnic-racial discrimination, we know a minimal amount about the frequency of these experiences among Latina/o youth. Utilizing three independent studies, we examined estimates of general discrimination and police discrimination among Latino/a youth living in the U.S. Southwest (total N = 1,066; ages 12–21 years old). Ethnic-racial discrimination experiences differed by adolescent gender; for girls, 47% reported discrimination at age 12; highest estimates were at age 17 (70%) and 18 years old (68%). Boys reported greater general discrimination than girls did during early and late adolescence; the highest estimates were observed at ages 19, 20, and 21 years old (94, 86, and 87%, respectively). Gender differences also emerged with police discrimination; boys reported being hassled by a police officer more often than girls did at every age. Findings suggest that most Latino adolescents experience discrimination, and Latino/a boys are particularly vulnerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

egg extracts are a powerful in vitro tool for studying complex biological processes, including nuclear reconstitution, nuclear membrane and pore assembly, and spindle assembly. Extracts have been further used to demonstrate a moonlighting regulatory role for nuclear import receptors or importins on these cell cycle assembly events. Here we show that exportins can also play a role in these events. Addition of Crm1, Exportin-t, or Exportin-5 decreased nuclear pore assembly in vitro. RanQ69L-GTP, a constitutively active form of RanGTP, ameliorated inhibition. Both Crm1 and Exportin-t inhibited fusion of nuclear membranes, again counteracted by RanQ69L-GTP. In mitotic extracts, Crm1 and Exportin-t negatively impacted spindle assembly. Pulldowns from the extracts using Crm1- or Exportin-t-beads revealed nucleoporins known to be essential for both nuclear pore and spindle assembly, with RanQ69L-GTP decreasing a subset of these target interactions. This study suggests a model where exportins, like importins, can regulate major mitotic assembly events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemic thunderstorm asthma (ETSA) is due to a complex interaction of environmental and individual susceptibility factors, with outbreaks reported globally over the last four decades. Australia has been particularly susceptible with nearly half of episodes reported internationally, culminating in the catastrophic Melbourne 2016 event. Reported ETSA episodes are reviewed for common environmental and meteorological risk factors. Allergen aerobiology interaction with thunderstorm activity and rapid weather condition changes is examined. Assessment of the clinical and immunological data highlights risk factors for ETSA presentation, hospital admission, and intensive care admission. Risk factors associated with ETSA deaths are evaluated. Public health strategies, as well as pharmacological and immunological management approaches to reduce individual susceptibility and prevent ETSA are discussed. Improved understanding of the specific meteorological factors predisposing to the greatest risk of ETSA to improve forecasting is required. Better monitoring of aeroallergen levels in areas of greatest geographic risk, with further research into allergen aerobiology underpinning mechanisms of allergen exposure is needed. The role of climate change in increasing the risk of ETSA outbreaks requires further research. Public awareness and education are required to reduce exposure, and to improve uptake of pharmacological and immunological risk reduction and preventive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have recently started to examine how minority stressors are associated with wellbeing outcomes among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people. Such studies have examined mainly hedonic wellbeing, and those that have investigated eudaimonic wellbeing have tended to use composite measures. The present study draws from this literature to examine how minority stressors are associated with a key indicator of eudaimonic wellbeing: life meaning. Drawing from the minority stress model, we examined these associations using structural equation modeling among 266 LGB adults. Expectations of rejection and identity concealment, but not discrimination or internalized homophobia, had significant negative associations with life meaning. Discrimination had negative indirect associations with life meaning via expectations of rejection and concealment. Our results highlight the nuanced relations that exist between minority stressors and life meaning and highlight the need to move beyond composite measures of wellbeing. Implications for clinical practice and directions for research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]