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Purpose: This research article presents an exploratory case study of the sociotechnical landscape of BookTok, and how young people use it to connect with others around the books they love, or those they love to hate. By observing the interplay between young people, books, and the technology (TikTok) that connects them, this study aims to explore how blending analog and digital media tools makes reading social and fun. Design/methodology/approach: The authors selected three bestsellers available in English and Danish, and BookTokers who made related videos. This study used a qualitative, ethnographic (Pink, 2021) approach to explore interactions on the app. Inductive coding (Saldaña, 2021) helped the authors identify themes, and connect to areas of inquiry. Findings: During the pandemic, TikTok and BookTok offered young people opportunities for reading engagement in social, bookish communities by using technology to promote reading in print. In doing so, their actions made reading and being a reader highly entertaining. Research limitations/implications: As an exploratory case study, this research is not generalizable. But the findings will apply to future work on reading, publishing, and connected learning in a sociotechnical landscape. Practical implications: BookTok connects print and digital formats, offering innovative possibilities for young people's connected learning and reading promotion in schools and libraries. Originality/value: Because TikTok is a relatively new tool, and its sub-community BookTok became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, research on this topic is still in its earliest stages.

According to Stearns (2009), culture shapes childhood. The way a society defines culture shapes: (a) how childhood is constructed; (b) the production of literary products and services for young people; and (c) training for library professionals. In 21st century America, children are viewed as a vulnerable population in need of protection, as evidenced by the books that are challenged in schools and libraries every year. In Denmark, however, childhood is constructed differently. While the American-style of helicopter parenting described in Finkel and Fitzsimmons (2013) exists, since the 1980s a cultural shift has occurred, as Danes move from what Juncker (2007) calls a silent, attendant culture to a vocal, participatory culture. Today, young Danes' right to access culture is mandated through the Ministry of Culture, and libraries and cultural institutions, working in partnership with schools, are largely responsible for providing such access. According to the Royal School of Library and Information Science's website, Bachelors and Masters degrees in Information Science and Cultural Dissemination emphasize connections between information and knowledge, but also focus on the interplay between knowledge and culture. As library education changes, children's library centers in turn are transformed into cultural institutions that incorporate media in all forms, focusing on culture, creativity, and play. This qualitative study uses participant observation gathered in Denmark during summer 2014 at the Royal School of Library and Information Science, libraries and cultural centers, and online analysis. Findings demonstrate how the Danish LIS program addresses changing constructions of childhood and the roles of information and culture, encompassing both aesthetics and play.

Background The optimal timing of vaccination with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines after cellular therapy is incompletely understood. The objectives of this study are to determine whether humoral and cellular responses after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination differ if initiated <4 months versus 4–12 months after cellular therapy. Methods We conducted a multicenter, prospective, observational study at 30 cancer centers in the United States. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was administered as part of routine care. We obtained blood prior to and after vaccinations at up to 5 time points and tested for SARS-CoV-2 spike (anti-S) IgG in all participants and neutralizing antibodies for Wuhan D614G, Delta B.1.617.2, and Omicron B.1.1.529 strains, as well as SARS-CoV-2–specific T-cell receptors, in a subgroup. Results We enrolled 466 allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) (n = 231), autologous HCT (n = 170), and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T-cell) therapy (n = 65) recipients between April 2021 and June 2022. Humoral and cellular responses did not significantly differ among participants initiating vaccinations <4 months versus 4–12 months after cellular therapy. Anti-S IgG ≥2500 U/mL was correlated with high neutralizing antibody titers and attained by the last time point in 70%, 69%, and 34% of allogeneic HCT, autologous HCT, and CAR-T-cell recipients, respectively. SARS-CoV-2–specific T-cell responses were attained in 57%, 83%, and 58%, respectively. Pre–cellular therapy SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination and baseline B-cell count were key predictors of post–cellular therapy immunity. Conclusions These data support mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination prior to, and reinitiation 3 to 4 months after, cellular therapies with allogeneic HCT, autologous HCT, and CAR-T-cell therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron deficiency is the most common extraintestinal sign of colonic neoplasia, including colorectal cancer (CRC) and other lower gastrointestinal pathology. Both upper endoscopy and colonoscopy is usually recommended in the work‐up of patients with unexplained iron deficiency, particularly in men and postmenopausal women. As the incidence of early‐onset CRC (age <50 years) rises in the United States, there is an increasing need to identify risk predictors to aid in the early detection of CRC. It remains unknown if serum ferritin (SF), and what specific threshold, can be used as a marker to stratify those at risk for CRC and other lower gastrointestinal pathology. In this current review of the literature, we aimed to review guidelines for diagnostic workup of colonic neoplasia in the setting of iron deficiency and examine the association and specific thresholds of SF and risk of CRC by age. Some of the published findings are conflicting, and conclusions specific to younger patients are limited. Though further investigation is warranted, the cumulative findings suggest that SF, in addition to considering the clinical context and screening guidelines, may have potential utility in the assessment of colonic neoplasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) deliver significant and essential precipitation to the western United States (US) with consequential interannual variability. The intensity and frequency of ARs strongly influence reservoir levels, mountain snowpack, and groundwater recharge, which are key drivers of water‐resource availability and natural hazards. Between October 2022 and April 2023, western states experienced exceptionally heavy precipitation from several families of powerful ARs. Using observations of surface‐loading deformation from Global Navigation Satellite Systems, we find that terrestrial water‐storage gains exceeded 100% of normal within vital California watersheds. Independent water‐storage solutions derived from different data‐analysis and inversion methods provide an important measure of precision. The sustained storage increases, which we show are closely associated with ARs at daily‐to‐weekly timescales, alleviated both meteorological and hydrological drought conditions in the region, with a lag in hydrological‐drought improvements. Quantifying water‐storage recovery associated with extreme precipitation after drought advances understanding of an increasingly variable hydrologic cycle. Plain Language Summary: Human communities in the western United States rely on seasonal mountain snowpack and precipitation for agriculture, industry, and the civilian water supply. Over the past two decades, increasingly severe drought conditions have plagued western states. In this study, we investigate gains in water storage related to recent atmospheric rivers, which are long and narrow corridors of atmospheric moisture associated with extreme precipitation, using an interdisciplinary approach called hydrogeodesy. Hydrogeodesy uses satellite‐ and ground‐based sensors to track subtle changes in the shape of the Earth and its gravity field caused by the redistribution of water through the Earth system. By treating the Earth as a natural scale, we can infer how much water is gained or lost from a particular area over time. Advancing our understanding of water‐resource availability, the Earth's water cycle, and the Earth's changing climate is critical for improving water‐resource management, sustaining natural ecosystems, and mitigating natural hazards. Key Points: We use surface deformation to assess changes in terrestrial water storage (TWS) associated with families of strong atmospheric rivers (ARs) in 2022–2023Large jumps in mountain water storage from ARs spurred recoveries from major California droughts in 2012–2015 and 2019–2022Early‐season water‐storage gains, driven by ARs, nearly equal precipitation inputs, indicating extensive reservoir recharge [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By comparing two federal education systems, namely Germany and the U.S., and their reactions to PISA we show how international, large-scale student assessments (ILSA) have been used by national stakeholders to gain leverage for legitimising or de-legitimising policy reforms in education. From a neo-institutionalist perspective we argue that country-specific path-dependencies and policy legacies, such as different systems of power devolution, testing traditions and also non-governmental actor influence, additionally moderate the impact of ILSA.

Although originally created for economic purposes, the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) has increasingly gained weight in education policy in recent years and is now regarded as an international authority in the field, particularly through its "Programme for International Student Assessment" (PISA), which was highly esteemed in many countries and enabled diverse domestic education reforms. OECD derived a variety of policy recommendations from the PISA results. However, which of these were implemented at the national level and how OECD was able to achieve an impact on its member states have not yet been analysed in sufficient depth. To answer these questions, we analyse which OECD recommendations were reflected in Switzerland and the US. As their reception differs across countries, we assess under which conditions policy convergence towards the OECD "model" took place. Then we elaborate on the governance mechanisms that caused policy convergence. We show that in Switzerland PISA's platform for transnational communication enabled policy learning at the expert level, thus leading to a rather high degree of policy convergence. This was not the case in the US, where PISA was regarded only as one of many studies assessing the performance of education systems. (Contains 8 notes and 5 tables.)

An instrument designed to measure a 3-factor model of research motivation was developed and psychometrically examined in the present research. Participants were 437 graduate students in biology, chemistry/biochemistry, physics/astronomy, and psychology. A principal components analysis supported the retention of 20 items representing the 3-factor structure. Intrinsic Reward explained 32.19% of the variance in the data, followed by Failure Avoidance (15.84%), and Extrinsic Reward (7.49%). A follow-up confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the 3-factor model provided a better fit to the data than competing 1-, 2-, and 4-factor models. A nomological network of relations with academic achievement motivation, fear of failure, behavioral activation/inhibition sensitivity, and other constructs also revealed support for the measure's convergent and discriminant validity. Implications for theory and research in the achievement motivation and career development domains are discussed. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

This article examines the utilization of a university counseling center's services by non-international racial and ethnic minority students via an archival approach. A total of 242 participants were included. Data were examined utilizing ANOVA, bivariate correlation, and chi-square analyses. Results support previous assertions that minority students under-utilize university mental health services.

Background: Low back pain affects the lives of millions of people in the United States and the world. Not only does low back pain affect the quality of life for the individual patient, but it also accounts for many emergency department and health care visits. For a subset of patients, conservative measures such as medications and physical therapy, nonsurgical interventions, and surgery are not effective. Peripheral nerve stimulation is an emerging treatment option for patients with chronic lowback pain. This case series assesses 6 patients' experiences with lumbar level peripheral nerve stimulation. Case Report: Three male and 3 female patients underwent lumbar level peripheral nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic low back pain. The average age of the patients was 63.5 years, and they demonstrated an average pain reduction of 64.8%. Conclusion: This series provides evidence that lumbar level peripheral nerve stimulation may be an efficacious treatment for chronic low back pain that is refractory to conservativemeasures. Large studies are needed to assess the outcomes and durations of improvement associated with this treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between behavioral economic demand and various alcohol use outcomes is well established. However, few studies have examined whether changes in demand occur following a brief alcohol intervention (BAI), and whether this change predicts alcohol outcomes over the long term. Methods: Parallel process piecewise latent growth curve models were examined in a sample of 393 heavy drinking emerging adults (60.8% women; 85.2% white; Mage = 18.77). In these models, two linear slopes represented rates of change in alcohol use, heavy drinking episodes, alcohol‐related problems, and demand (intensity and highest expenditure across all price points or Omax) from baseline to 1 month (slope 1) and 1 month to 16 months (slope 2). Mediation analyses were conducted to estimate the effect of a BAI on 16‐month alcohol outcomes through slope 1 demand. Results: A two‐session BAI predicted significant reductions in all five outcomes from baseline to 1‐month follow‐up. Although no further reduction was observed from the 1‐month to the 16‐month follow‐up, there was no regression to baseline levels. Slope 1 demand intensity, but not Omax, significantly mediated the association between BAI and both outcomes—heavy drinking episodes (Est. = −0.23, SE = 0.08, p < 0.01) and alcohol‐related problems (Est. = −0.15, SE = 0.07, p < 0.05)—at the 16‐month follow‐up. Conclusions: Reducing high valuation of alcohol among heavy drinking emerging adults within the first month following BAI is critical for the long‐term efficacy of the intervention. A two‐session BAI was associated with enduring reductions in alcohol demand, and the change in demand intensity, but not Omax, was associated with sustained reductions in heavy drinking and alcohol‐related problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world accommodates to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, routine in-person medical services are resuming. The resumption of non urgent electrodiagnostic (EDX) testing faces unique challenges due to the long duration of the procedure and direct close contact with patients, including studies with risk of exposure to oropharyngeal secretions. We provide consensus guidance for resumption of EDX testing, addressing scheduling, patient arrival and registration, use of personal protective equipment, COVID-19 screening and testing, the performance of EDX testing in outpatient and inpatient settings, cleaning and maintenance of the EDX equipment and laboratory, balancing trainee safety and training requirements, and patient care issues. These are broad recommendations that need to be adapted to local COVID-19 risks, institutional guidelines and policies, and changing federal, state, and local regulations, and to changes in the pandemic over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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On April 17 2020, the United States Food and Drug Administration granted Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) emergency use authorizations for the Seraph 100 Microbind Affinity Blood Filter. The medical device is aimed to treat critically ill COVID‐19 patients with confirmed or imminent respiratory failure. The aim of this life size in vitro pharmacokinetic study was to investigate the in vitro adsorption of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine from human plasma using equipment that is also used at the bedside. After start of the hemoperfusion, Pre (Cpre) Seraph plasma levels were obtained at 5 (C5), 10 (C10), 15 (C15), 30 (C30), 60 (C60), and 120 (C120) minutes into the procedure. At two timepoints (5 and 120 minutes) post (Cpost) Seraph plasma levels were determined that were used to calculate the plasma clearance of the Seraph. Both drugs were determined using a validated HPLC method. Median [IQR] plasma clearance of the Seraph for chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine was 1.71 [0.51‐4.38] mL/min/1.79 [0.21‐3.68] mL/min respectively. The lack of elimination was also confirmed by the fact that plasma levels did not change over the 120 minutes treatment. As neither chloroquine nor hydroxychloroquine were removed by the treatment with the Seraph dose adjustments in COVID‐19 patients undergoing this treatment are not necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When multiple species of fish coexist there are a host of potential ways through which they may interact, yet there is often a strong focus on studies of single species without considering these interactions. For example, many studies of forestry-stream interactions in the Pacific Northwest have focused solely on the most prevalent species: Coastal cutthroat trout. To examine the potential for interactions of other fishes with coastal cutthroat trout, we conducted an analysis of 281 sites in low order streams located on Washington's Olympic Peninsula and along the central Oregon coast. Coastal cutthroat trout and juvenile coho salmon were the most commonly found salmonid species within these streams and exhibited positive associations with each other for both presence and density. Steelhead were negatively associated with the presence of coastal cutthroat trout as well as with coho salmon and sculpins (Cottidae). Coastal cutthroat trout most frequently shared streams with juvenile coho salmon. For densities of these co-occurring species, associations between these two species were relatively weak compared to the strong influences of physical stream conditions (size and gradient), suggesting that physical conditions may have more of an influence on density than species interactions. Collectively, our analysis, along with a review of findings from prior field and laboratory studies, suggests that the net effect of interactions between coastal cutthroat trout and coho salmon do not appear to inhibit their presence or densities in small streams along the Pacific Northwest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective of the study: Statistics shows a worrisome picture of challenges to be overcome by cybersecurity in the healthcare sector. Data evidence that the healthcare industry experiences four data breaches per week in the United States alone, making it the sector most often affected by digital security breaches. Thus, the current article aims to investigate risk management focusing on identifying requirements and best practices for healthcare data security systems. Methodology/approach: It is based on a systematic literature review. Studies on state-of-the-art data security systems were collected and interpreted through content analysis. Assertive keywords, sourceselection criteria, interpretation of selected articles, and database analysis were used to form the investigated sample and to represent the broad applications of this study's objective. Originality/Relevance: The current study contributes to define a set of minimum requirements and best practices that can be adopted to manage data security risks in the healthcare sector and medical devices. Main results: Results have pointed out that there is no fully effective way to prevent all violations by cybercriminals; however, cybersecurity must be part of management processes adopted by different organizations. Theoretical/methodological contributions: It is found that cybersecurity has a great importance for the healthcare sector, the information generated is rich in content and that cybersecurity is neglected in the sector, that is not able to deal with the reality of cyber threats in the industry 4.0 context. Social/management contributions: By the good risk management practices and the adoption of minimum security items, institutions can ensure that managers can prepare and respond efficiently to cyber risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale, national research studies have consistently indicated that college students participating in athletics consume more alcohol than nonathletes. Theorists have speculated that a number of risk factors could be associated with heavy drinking among this group, although research in the area has been sparse. The purpose of the current study was to assess the relationship between one possible risk factor, competitiveness, in a sample of recreational and elite college athletes to determine whether competitiveness was related to alcohol use among these athletes. Data were collected from a sample of 298 undergraduates from a large university in the northeastern United States. Results showed that competitiveness was associated with higher amounts of alcohol consumption. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation, particularly different types of motivation (i.e., intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivation), is a topic that has been of interest to both psychologists and sport psychologists. One area of interest in sport psychology is the assessment of different types of motivation. The Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) (Pelletier et al., 1995) was created to assess an athlete's intrinsic motivation, extrinsic-motivation, and a motivation toward sport participation. The psychometric properties of the SMS, however, have not been tested on a sample of college athletes in the U.S., which is an important component if researchers and applied sport psychologists are to use the SMS with this population. A total of 270 U.S. college athletes participated in this study. Results provided some evidence for the reliability and validity of the SMS for this population, although a confirmatory factor analysis yielded relatively poor fit indices, indicating problems with model specification. A "piecewise" model testing approach, in which different components of the model were tested separately, indicated that the biggest problems with model specification may involve the extrinsic and amotivation components of the measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As nearly one third of transgender individuals in the USA are obese, more transgender patients may pursue bariatric surgery as a means of sustaining weight loss. Transgender individuals, like bariatric surgery patients, have high rates of mood pathology, substance use, abuse, and self-harm behaviors. However, there is no research on transgender bariatric surgery candidates. The aim of this review is to elucidate potential psychosocial risk factors, including sex hormone management, which may impact surgical clearance, presurgical psychosocial assessment, and treatment recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores new data sources on multilateral trade in films among EU countries and with the USA in offline cinema and in online video-on-demand distribution. We observe variations in trade patterns across countries and films and explore how they affect cultural diversity. We find that the EU film market is highly fragmented and cross-border film availability in cinema is low. We explore different aspects of the cultural discount hypothesis by means of a standard Helpman and Krugman (Market structure and foreign trade. Increasing returns, imperfect competition, and the international economy, MIT Press, Cambridge, 1985) trade model with economies of scale and a two-stage Heckman (Econometrica 47(1):153-161, 1979) estimation procedure. Our results show that cultural distance, success in the home market and the size of the film budget influence trade of films between countries. US films have a lower propensity to get into export markets, relative to their success in the home market. Consumer demand for imported films is relatively smaller in large EU economies, except for films imported from the USA that are only marginally affected. We also show that trade patterns in online film distribution are not fundamentally different. As online distribution occurs downstream from theatrical release, online distributors can benefit from cinema market experience to make a better selection of films. This results in a lower impact of domestic market shares on online trade patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Reward deprivation has been implicated in major depressive disorder and severe substance abuse, but its potential relation to alcohol use disorder ( AUD) symptoms in non-treatment-seeking young adult drinkers is less clear. Depression is often comorbid with alcohol misuse, so relations of AUD with reward deprivation might be due in part to the presence of depressive symptoms in young adults. Behavioral economic theory views addiction as a state that is related in part to deficits in drug-free rewards, and therefore requires an investigation into whether reward deprivation has a direct relation to alcohol misuse that is, at least partially, independent of mood. Methods This study evaluates the contribution of 2 facets of reward deprivation (reward availability and experience) to alcohol use, AUD symptoms, and depression in a sample of young adult heavy episodic drinkers. Data were collected from 392 undergraduates (60.4% female, 85.1% Caucasian) who reported recent heavy drinking (83.7% with at least 1 AUD symptom). Results Low reward availability (environmental suppression) was significantly associated with both DSM-5 AUD symptoms and alcohol-related problems after controlling for age, gender, depressive symptomatology, and drinking level. Conclusions This study provides support for behavioral economic models that emphasize reward deprivation as a unique risk factor for AUD that is independent of mood and drinking level. Limited access to natural rewards may be a risk and/or maintaining factor for AUD symptoms in college student drinkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the current crime problem in the U.S. as of 2015 mentions the impact of criminal procedure with the introduction of the writ of habeas corpus. Topics discussed include statutory guidelines for federal habeas under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, the U.S. Supreme Court cases Cullen v. Pinholster and Martinez v. Ryan on ineffective assistance of counsel claims on federal habeas and permission for the prisoners to have assistance of counsel claims.

While equity has been an important consideration for transportation planning agencies in the U.S. following the passage of Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI specifically) and the subsequent Department of Transportation directives, there is little guidance on how to assess the distribution of benefits generated by transport investment programs. As a result, the distribution of these benefits has received relatively little attention in transportation planning, compared to transport-related burdens. Drawing on philosophies of social justice, we present an equity assessment of the distribution of accessibility in order to define the rate of “access poverty” among the population. We then apply this analysis to regional transportation plan scenarios from the San Francisco Bay Area, focusing on measures of differences between public transit and automobile access. The analysis shows that virtually all neighborhoods suffer from substantial gaps between car and public transport-based accessibility, but that the two proposed transportation investment programs reduce access poverty compared to the “no project” scenario. We also investigate how access and access poverty rates vary by demographic groups and map low-income communities within access impoverished areas, which could be the subject of further focused investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Alcohol-impaired driving among college students represents a significant public health concern, yet little is known about specific theoretical and individual difference risk factors for driving after drinking among heavy drinking college students. This study evaluated the hypothesis that heavy drinkers with elevated alcohol demand would be more likely to report drinking and driving. Method Participants were 207 college students who reported at least 1 heavy drinking episode (4/5 or more drinks in 1 occasion for a woman/man) in the past month. Participants completed an alcohol purchase task that assessed hypothetical alcohol consumption across 17 drink prices and an item from the Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire that assessed driving after drinking. Results In binary logistic regression models that controlled for drinking level, gender, ethnicity, age, and sensation seeking, participants who reported higher demand were more likely to report driving after drinking. Conclusions These results provide support for behavioral economics models of substance abuse that view elevated/inelastic demand as a key etiological feature of substance misuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thre article presents three studies conducted to develop and validate the Development and Validation of the Male Assessment of Self-Objectification (MASO), an instrument to assesses self-objectification specifically in men. It indicates that self-objectification may be used to explain the masculinity in men. It concludes that the MASO demonstrates adequate validity and reliability in assessing self-objectification in men.

Objectives In recent years, political scientists have found that civic education improves the democratic capacity of students, yet little research has been done to date on how and why civic education works when it does. In this study, we go inside the classroom to explore how teachers teach civics to find out what works best at preparing young people for responsible, democratic citizenship. Methods Using a survey of American students, principals, and teachers, we examine the varied instructional methods being employed by social studies teachers in ninth-grade classrooms across the country to determine which methods and which combinations of methods do the best job of enhancing students' democratic capacity defined as their political knowledge, political efficacy, and intent to vote. Results Our results suggest that there are four broad teaching approaches employed by social studies teachers: traditional teaching, active learning, video teaching, and maintenance of an open classroom climate. Teachers may employ some combination of these approaches. The analysis indicates that approaches that foster an open classroom climate (encouraging student input) in combination with the others tend to be the most fruitful across the board. While any combination including an open classroom climate maximizes benefit, traditional teaching (i.e., use of methods including textbook reading, worksheets, memorization, and so forth) combined with an open classroom climate seems to do the best. Also, the results suggest that the combinations that work best for stimulating internal efficacy vary greatly from those stimulating the other citizenship outcomes. Conclusions Taken together, our results suggest that fostering an open classroom climate when teaching civics is the surest way to improve the democratic capacity of America's youth. Further, teachers should be attentive to the instructional tradeoffs necessary to creating student capacities for both active and informed citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research examining the relationship between readiness to change and alcohol consumption among college students is inconsistent. The purpose of the present study was to extend these findings, using two different measures of readiness to change. We hypothesized a curvilinear effect would occur such that the relationship between readiness to change and alcohol use would be relatively low for students low and high on readiness to change, whereas the relationship would be relatively high for those with moderate levels of readiness to change. Data were collected from two studies: Study 1 consisted of 263 undergraduate students and Study 2 consisted of 245 undergraduates participating in either intercollegiate or recreational athletics at three US universities. In Study 1, we examined the association between both linear and quadratic scores on a readiness to change measure and alcohol use. In Study 2, we examined the relationship between scores on a stage of change measure that included subscales indicative of different levels of readiness to change and alcohol use. The pattern of relationships supported the existence of an effect where the highest levels of alcohol use occurred among those with scores representing moderate levels of readiness to change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Community-Engaged Research Team Support (CERTS) program was developed and tested to build research and partnership capacity for community-engaged research (CEnR) teams. Led by the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS), the goals of CERTS were: (1) to help community-academic teams build capacity for conducting rigorous CEnR and (2) to support teams as they prepare federal grant proposal drafts. The program was guided by an advisory committee of community and clinical partners, and representatives from Chicago's Clinical and Translational Science Institutes. Monthly workshops guided teams to write elements of NIH-style research proposals. Draft reviewing fostered a collaborative learning environment and helped teams develop equal partnerships. The program culminated in a mock-proposal review. All teams clarified their research and acquired new knowledge about the preparation of NIH-style proposals. Trust, partnership collaboration, and a structured writing strategy were assets of the CERTS approach. CERTS also uncovered gaps in resources and preparedness for teams to be competitive for federally funded grants. Areas of need include experience as principal investigators, publications on study results, mentoring, institutional infrastructure, and dedicated time for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basic behavioral and neurobiological research has demonstrated that deficiencies in naturally occurring substance-free rewards are both a cause and a consequence of substance abuse that are due in part to the systematic discounting of delayed substance-free rewards. Existing brief motivational interventions (BMIs) for alcohol abuse do not target this mechanism of change. The goal of this uncontrolled pilot study was to evaluate a behavioral economic Substance-Free Activity Session (SFAS) to traditional alcohol BMIs. Participants were 13 college freshmen who reported two or more heavy drinking episodes ( >5/4 drinks in an occasion for men/women) in the past month. All participants completed a baseline assessment and a BMI that addressed alcohol use. In addition, participants received the SFAS, a 50-min individual session that attempts to increase engagement in constructive alternatives to drinking by enhancing the salience of delayed rewards (academic and career success) and the patterns of behavior (academic and extracurricular engagement) leading to these outcomes. At the 1-month follow-up assessment, participants reported significant reductions in heavy drinking, and moderate to large effect size reductions in weekly drinking and peak blood alcohol levels. The results of this pilot study provide preliminary support for the efficacy of this behavioral economic intervention session as a supplement to traditional alcohol BMIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Transportation improvements inevitably lead to an uneven distribution of user benefits, in space and by network type (private and public transport). This paper makes a moral argument for what would be a fair distribution of these benefits. The argument follows Walzer’s “Spheres of Justice” approach to define the benefits of transportation, access, as a sphere deserving a separate, non-market driven, distribution. That distribution, we propose, is one where the maximum gap between the lowest and highest accessibility, both by mode and in space, should be limited, while attempting to maximize average access. We then review transportation planning practice for a priori distributional goals and find little explicit guidance in conventional and even justice-oriented transportation planning and analyses. We end with a discussion of the implications for practice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Approximately 50% of college students report a heavy drinking episode in the past 2 weeks. This pattern of heavy episodic drinking places them at risk for experiencing alcohol-related problems. In addition, important ethnic differences exist between European American and African American college students in terms of drinking. European American college students report consuming more alcohol than African American college students, but little research exists on the differences in types and rates of problems. The current study sought to examine the differences in problems among 451 African American and European American college students using a comprehensive measure of alcohol-related problems. The effect of gender was also examined as research has found consistent gender differences in drinking. European American students experienced more problems overall and greater levels of social/interpersonal problems and risky behaviors even after controlling for drinking level. In addition, women reported significantly greater levels of problems in all domains except physical dependence, risky behaviors, and self-perception when drinking was controlled for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research has explored the effectiveness of civic education in America’s classrooms. We build on these efforts using a survey of American students to test whether civics instruction enhances students’ political knowledge, political efficacy, and their voting intent. We refer to these outcomes, collectively, as democratic capacity. Recognizing that not all classroom experiences are created equal, we break new ground by exploring the degree to which the effectiveness of civic education is conditioned on variation in instructional methods employed by teachers. We also examine how variation in students’ home environment affects the effectiveness of civic education. The results suggest that civic education seems to influence democratic capacity only for those students who come from less privileged backgrounds and that teachers who use a wider range of instructional methods appear to deter the stimulation of knowledge for these students while simultaneously boosting their efficacy. We discuss the implications of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The author discusses the application of a structural theory of discrimination to the case involving Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Dukes. The author provides an overview on the relevant facts and procedural history of the case and a background of discrimination law, sex discrimination and stereotyping, and class actions. She analyzes the Court's decision, including the concurring and dissenting opinion of Justice Ginsburg and argues the adoptation of a structural approach to discrimination.

We integrate known and suspected Meso-American plate motions with the geochronology of Caribbean arcs and Central American HP/LT belts to promote two primary concepts. The first is that the Greater Antillean Arc formed at about 135 Ma by inception of SW-dipping subduction along a sinistral ‘inter-American transform’ connecting the west-facing subduction zones of the North and South American Cordillera. Caribbean arc magmas date from 135 Ma and Caribbean HP/LT complexes from 118 Ma, and they were formed as the Caribbean lithosphere was engulfed between North and South America during westward drift of – and divergence between – the latter. Initial arc magmatism predates exhumation of HP/LT metamorphic rocks by 10–20 million years; that is, magmatism developed faster than refrigeration and recycling in the subduction zones. However, pre-130 Ma HP/LT mélanges in Nicaragua (Siuna complex, 139 Ma 40Ar/39Ar) and in Guatemala both north and south of the Motagua fault zone (140–130 Ma Sm–Nd ages) require a different explanation. Therefore, our second concept is that these older rocks originated within a mature, west-facing Cordilleran subduction channel west of Mexico and/or the Chortis Block, and were subsequently dragged southeastward during sinistral subduction to a position along the NW portion of the ‘inter-American transform’. Upon initiation of SW-dipping subduction along this transform at 135 Ma, these older HP/LT (and minor arc) rocks became entrained within the transpressive zone between the western end of the Caribbean Arc and the southeast-facing Proto-Caribbean passive margin of the Chortis and Maya blocks. They were obliquely and diachronously accreted along these margins in the Albian to Maastrichtian. Parts of these mélanges are now exposed on both the northern and the southern flanks of the Motagua Valley of central Guatemala, and we further develop earlier suggestions that the southern Motagua mélanges were emplaced there on Chortis basement units by mid-Tertiary south-vergent transpression along the Motagua Fault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In June 2007, a group of 15 prison psychologists, social workers, wardens, and correctional administrators from across Germany visited the northeast United States for the purpose of conducting tours of various kinds of correctional facilities. The trip was organized through a collaborative effort from the authors over a period of 2 years. This article describes the correctional facilities visited and observations made by the Germans during their correctional facility tours and will focus on the similarities and differences between the German and American correctional systems. The article clearly reflects how international academic collaborations can provide a variety of benefits for those willing to physically venture beyond boarders. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the future directions of the housing and community development (HCD) industry in the U.S. It looks at the federal housing policy and explores issues developed by such policies. It suggests to reconsider the housing and community development policy, acknowledging economic matters including over-emphasis on homeownership, aging public housing inventory, and under-utilization of the private sector. Also included are guiding principles for future housing policy initiatives.

The article discusses the application of lead compound case law to any other disciplines for objectivity enhancement in the U.S. It notes the extrapolation of this approach used in providing prima facie obviousness proponents and opponents for certain claimed invention, patent examiners, and judges. It focuses on the concept of Lead Prior Art method in determining the Lead Prior Art consisting basic points that allow the person of ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) to solve a problem.