Search

Students from underrepresented populations--females, working class, and youth from marginalized racial/ethnic groups--are less likely than their middle-class Asian and White male peers to study computer science (CS) in college. The dearth of CS undergraduates from these groups contributes to projected labor force shortages. Sources of the dilemma include weak or absent inspiration and CS preparation in middle schools and negative stereotypes suggesting certain groups do not belong in CS. This case study describes three years of a community collaboration between a local university and a nearby middle school attended by primarily low-income students of color. The University of North Carolina Charlotte/Wilson STEM Academy Partnership focused on undergraduates majoring in CS teaching monthly workshops designed to inspire and academically prepare the middle schoolers for college and CS majors by teaching them coding and computational thinking while also challenging stereotypes about who belongs in CS. Post-workshop assessments, reflective essays, interviews, and administrative data were thematically coded. Findings suggest the workshops sparked interest in college and CS, undermined toxic stereotypes, and nurtured the academic self-confidence of middle schoolers. The Partnership provided the undergraduates with opportunities to meet their own academic goals while "paying it forward." Results suggest that the Partnership can serve as a model starting point for disrupting the disproportionalities in female and underrepresented minority students in CS.

Female, Black, Latinx, Native American, low-income, and rural students remain underrepresented among computer science undergraduate degree recipients. Along with student, family, and secondary school characteristics, college organizational climate, curricula, and instructional practices shape undergraduates' experiences that foster persistence until graduation. Our quasi-experimental project, "Improving the Persistence and Success of Students from Underrepresented Populations in Computer Science" (I-PASS), is designed to augment students' persistence until they earn their computer science degree. Drawing on prior research, including Tinto's model of effective institutional actions for retention, I-PASS Scholars--all low-income, female and/or members of underserved demographics groups--receive a four-year scholarship; mentoring, tutoring, advising; and opportunities to integrate into the academic and social life of the campus. Students' written reflections and attitude surveys suggest I-PASS's components foster their retention by, among other mechanisms, enhancing their computer science identity development and sense of belonging in the major.

Many have suggested that performance grading may be a factor in the increasing number of students reporting having mental health issues, including feelings of stress. Gradeless learning has been shown to ease the pressure on students because it encourages a focus on learning rather than performance. Indeed, gradeless learning has been documented to benefit well-being, stress reduction, motivation, and learning approach, but its influence on academic performance requires more investigation. Drawing on a quantitative analysis, we empirically examine the effect of gradeless learning on a broad set of outcomes including well-being and stress, but focus specifically on students' later academic performance as measured by grades. Our findings reveal that gradeless learning can increase motivation and reduce surface learning but has no significant effect on students' later academic achievements. The study concludes that gradeless learning can provide a relevant alternative to grades if carefully designed.

Abstract Background Rape is one of the trauma incidents with the highest risk of subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder. Early interventions, such as prolonged exposure therapy (PE), have shown promise in preventing PTSD following a sexual assault. The primary objective of this internal pilot trial was to examine the feasibility of the EIR study protocol, which used modified prolonged exposure therapy (mPE) as a preventive intervention after rape. Methods This parallel two-arm clinical pilot study involved three sexual assault centers (SACs) in Trondheim, Oslo, and Vestfold, with data collected between June 2022 and March 2023. Women seeking assistance at one of these three SACs within 72 h after rape or attempted rape received acute medical treatment and forensic examinations. Women who wanted further psychosocial treatment were, if eligible and consenting, recruited to complete baseline assessments and a clinical interview before being randomized to one of two study arms. The intervention group prescribed up to five sessions of modified PE (mPE) in addition to treatment as usual (TAU), starting within the first 14 days after the rape incident, followed by weekly sessions. The other group received TAU. The present pilot evaluation is based on 22 participants, i.e., nine mPE + TAU and 13 TAU alone. Primary outcomes were predefined progression criteria regarding recruitment, retention, intervention implementation, a harm reporting system, and applying biological measurements and actigraphy. Results During the 6-month recruitment period, 235 women visited the three SACs. After eligibility screening and consent, 22 (9.4%) women were randomized. Three months later, 14 (63.6%) participants completed the final assessments. Intervention implementation was successful using trained SAC personnel to deliver mPE. The harm reporting system was used according to the study’s plan, and adverse and serious adverse events were detected during the trial. The biological measurements and actigraphy had substantial missing data but were still considered usable for statistical analyses. Conclusion It may be feasible to conduct a full-scale RCT of early intervention after rape by comparing mPE + TAU to TAU alone. Minor design refinements were made to the protocol to enhance the main study outcome. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05489133. Registered on 15 July 2022, retrospectively.

Las transformaciones en las ciudades producidas desde el inicio de la revolución industrial son una de las principales amenazas para la salvaguarda del patrimonio urbano. Estas circunstancias han demandado la elaboración de estrategias y nuevos enfoques orientados a lograr un desarrollo sustentable del patrimonio cultural. Al respecto, en las últimas décadas el vínculo entre el patrimonio cultural y las diferentes dimensiones de la sustentabilidad ocupa uno de los puntos centrales de la agenda patrimonial de organizaciones nacionales e internacionales, así como de investigadores de todo el mundo. De las diferentes dimensiones de la sustentabilidad identificadas, es la sociocultural la que mayor incidencia tiene en la salvaguardia del patrimonio cultural. En el abordaje del patrimonio cultural desde la perspectiva de la sustentabilidad los procesos de evaluación mediante el uso de indicadores presentan amplias ventajas para la formulación, análisis y seguimiento de las políticas culturales y los procesos de toma de decisiones en la gestión. En este contexto, existe un amplio espectro de propuestas de indicadores de sustentabilidad que son aplicados, desde diferentes enfoques, a una diversidad de objetos y de contextos. No obstante, en general se observa que, en la mayoría de las propuestas, se formulan indicadores cuantitativos con una fuerte incidencia de las dimensiones económica y ambiental, presentando limitaciones para abordar aspectos más sensibles del patrimonio cultural, como las valoraciones y percepciones, que por tener un carácter subjetivo no son fácilmente cuantificables. Por ello, en el presente trabajo se presenta una propuesta metodológica para la evaluación de la sustentabilidad sociocultural del patrimonio urbano en ciudades medias mediante un conjunto de indicadores formulados desde un enfoque cualitativo, diseñada y testeada en una ciudad intermedia de Argentina (Olavarría). La metodología propuesta permite medir los avances y retrocesos del patrimonio en pos de su sustentabilidad en el mediano plazo. Además, facilita la integración de evaluaciones de distintas disciplinas e incorpora la mirada de los principales actores de la patrimonialización y la gestión del patrimonio, así como posibilita la realización de un diagnóstico de la situación del patrimonio urbano en las áreas de estudio. The transformations in cities since the beginning of the industrial revolution are one of the main threats to safeguarding urban heritage. These circumstances have demanded the elaboration of strategies and new approaches to achieve the sustainable development of cultural heritage. In this respect, in recent decades, the link between cultural heritage and the different dimensions of sustainability has been at the centre of the heritage agenda of national and international organisations and researchers from all over the world. Of the various dimensions of sustainability identified, the sociocultural dimension has the most significant impact on safeguarding cultural heritage. In the approach to cultural heritage from the perspective of sustainability, evaluation processes through the use of indicators have broad advantages for formulating, analysing and monitoring cultural policies and management decision-making processes. In this context, a broad spectrum of proposals for sustainability indicators is applied from different approaches to various objects and contexts. However, in general, it is observed that most of the proposals formulate quantitative indicators with a substantial incidence of the economic and environmental dimensions, presenting limitations to address more sensitive aspects of cultural heritage, such as valuations and perceptions, which are not easily quantifiable due to their subjective nature. Therefore, this paper presents a methodological proposal for evaluating the sociocultural sustainability of urban heritage in medium-sized cities through a set of indicators formulated from a qualitative approach designed and tested in a medium-sized city in Argentina (Olavarría). The proposed methodology makes it possible to measure the progress and setbacks of heritage in pursuit of sustainability in the medium term. In addition, it facilitates the integration of evaluations from different disciplines. It incorporates the viewpoint of the main actors in heritage and heritage management, as well as making it possible to diagnose the situation of urban heritage in the areas of study.

Abstract Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the human brain, has long been considered essential in human behavior in general and learning in particular. GABA concentration can be quantified using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Using this technique, numerous studies have reported associations between baseline GABA levels and various human behaviors. However, regional GABA concentration is not fixed and may exhibit rapid modulation as a function of environmental factors. Hence, quantification of GABA levels at several time points during the performance of tasks can provide insights into the dynamics of GABA levels in distinct brain regions. This review reports on findings from studies using repeated measures (n = 41) examining the dynamic modulation of GABA levels in humans in response to various interventions in the perceptual, motor, and cognitive domains to explore associations between GABA modulation and human behavior. GABA levels in a specific brain area may increase or decrease during task performance or as a function of learning, depending on its precise involvement in the process under investigation. Here, we summarize the available evidence and derive two overarching hypotheses regarding the role of GABA modulation in performance and learning. Firstly, training-induced increases in GABA levels appear to be associated with an improved ability to differentiate minor perceptual differences during perceptual learning. This observation gives rise to the ‘GABA increase for better neural distinctiveness hypothesis’. Secondly, converging evidence suggests that reducing GABA levels may play a beneficial role in effectively filtering perceptual noise, enhancing motor learning, and improving performance in visuomotor tasks. Additionally, some studies suggest that the reduction of GABA levels is related to better working memory and successful reinforcement learning. These observations inspire the ‘GABA decrease to boost learning hypothesis’, which states that decreasing neural inhibition through a reduction of GABA in dedicated brain areas facilitates human learning. Additionally, modulation of GABA levels is also observed after short-term physical exercise. Future work should elucidate which specific circumstances induce robust GABA modulation to enhance neuroplasticity and boost performance.

Objective Rituximab (RTX)‐treated patients exhibit suboptimal responses to COVID‐19 vaccines. However, existing research primarily involves patients already receiving RTX when vaccines were introduced, failing to account for the current landscape where patients are vaccinated before initiating RTX. Our objective was to compare the serological response to COVID‐19 vaccines in patients vaccinated before or after RTX initiation. Methods We included 254 RTX‐treated patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRDs) and 113 blood donors (BDs) in a retrospective, observational cohort study. Patients were categorized based on the timing of RTX treatment relative to primary COVID‐19 vaccination. Serological vaccine responses were assessed using three immunoassays, and logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of serological response. Results Patients vaccinated before initiating RTX treatment had significantly higher seroconversion rates of SARS‐CoV‐2 immunoglobulin G (87%) and neutralizing antibodies (91%) compared with those receiving RTX before and after vaccination (n = 132) (61% and 65%, respectively). In the logistic regression analysis, a positive serological response was associated with the number of vaccines administered >9 months after the last RTX treatment. Patients receiving the highest number of vaccines with >9 months after RTX showed a response comparable to that of the BDs. Conclusion Vaccinating before RTX initiation yields a robust serological response in patients with AIIRDs. Furthermore, we highlight the reversibility of antibody impairment after RTX treatment cessation, provided that adequate vaccinations occur within a minimum of 9 months after RTX. Our findings offer essential insights for clinical decision‐making regarding COVID‐19 vaccination and RTX treatment, alleviating concerns about future RTX use.

Abstract The Arctic is experiencing rapid reductions in sea ice, affecting all ice-dependant species. In the present study we examine interannual seasonal movements and habitat use in relation to sea ice coverage for one of the Arctic endemic marine mammals. We tagged 40 male walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) in the Svalbard Archipelago with custom-designed tusk-mounted GPS loggers. Twelve of these animals provided tracks that lasted 1–6 years. Eleven of the walruses displayed clear seasonal migratory behaviour between summer foraging areas and winter breeding areas. Individuals showed high inter-individual variation, but clear site fidelity, using the same areas in consecutive years despite variable sea ice conditions. The walruses swam 5225–10,406 km per year and travelled remarkably similar distances between years on an individual basis. The phenology of migration was not impacted by sea ice concentrations or daylight length but was consistent at the individual level, suggesting endogenous drivers. Sea ice concentrations influenced movement behaviour with animals showing more tortuous paths when in areas with heavy sea ice, possibly searching for polynyas where females reside. Ongoing climate change is expected to drastically change walrus habitat, and it remains to be seen if walruses will be able to shift from their fixed seasonal migratory routines.

Abstract Headache disorders are the most common disorders of the nervous system. The lifetime prevalence of headache disorders show that some individuals never experience headache. The etiology of complete freedom from headache is not known. To assess genetic variants associated with complete freedom from headache, we performed a genome-wide association study of individuals who have never experienced a headache. We included 63,992 individuals (2,998 individuals with complete freedom from headache and 60,994 controls) from the Danish Blood Donor Study Genomic Cohort. Participants were included in two rounds, from 2015 to 2018 and in 2020. We discovered a genome-wide significant association, with the lead variant rs7904615[G] in ADARB2 (EAF = 27%, OR = 1.20 [1.13–1.27], p = 3.92 × 10−9). The genomic locus was replicated in a non-overlapping cohort of 13,032 individuals (539 individuals with complete freedom from headache and 12,493 controls) from the Danish Blood Donor Study Genomic Cohort (p

Wearable optics have a broad range of uses, for example, in refractive spectacles and augmented/virtual reality devices. Despite the long-standing and widespread use of wearable optics in vision care and technology, user discomfort remains an enduring mystery. Some of this discomfort is thought to derive from optical image minification and magnification. However, there is limited scientific data characterizing the full range of physical and perceptual symptoms caused by minification or magnification during daily life. In this study, we aimed to evaluate sensitivity to changes in retinal image size introduced by wearable optics. Forty participants wore 0%, 2%, and 4% radially symmetric optical minifying lenses binocularly (over both eyes) and monocularly (over just one eye). Physical and perceptual symptoms were measured during tasks that required head movement, visual search, and judgment of world motion. All lens pairs except the controls (0% binocular) were consistently associated with increased discomfort along some dimension. Greater minification tended to be associated with greater discomfort, and monocular minification was often-but not always-associated with greater symptoms than binocular minification. Furthermore, our results suggest that dizziness and visual motion were the most reported physical and perceptual symptoms during naturalistic tasks. This work establishes preliminary guidelines for tolerances to binocular and monocular image size distortion in wearable optics.