Scholars Grant Research Articles

Penny Wise and Pound Foolish: Does Striving to Meet Earnings Expectations by Manipulating Real Activities Trigger Product Recalls?

We examine whether managers’ activities in striving to reach earnings targets through real earnings manipulation affect their firms’ product recalls. Our evidence implies that firms suspected of manipulating real activities in trying to meet earnings benchmarks exhibit a higher likelihood and frequency of product recalls. In cross-sectional results consistent with expectations, we find that the impact of exploiting real activities to attain earnings benchmarks on product recalls intensifies for firms whose managers have stronger incentives to manage earnings and subsides for firms subject to greater customer power and firms with more growth opportunities. Additional analysis shows that lowering product quality to meet or beat earnings expectations undermines firms’ future performance. This paper was accepted by Ranjani Krishnan, accounting. Funding: Y. Chen acknowledges the General Research Fund of the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong [Project 15504219] for financial support. L. Ma acknowledges financial support from the Ministry of Education Project of Humanities and Social Sciences [Project 22YJC630099] and the Young Scholars Grant Program of the University of International Business and Economics [Project 20YQ06]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.04035 .

(066) A Low Androgen State Impairs Erectile Function by Suppressing EPAC1 in Rat Corpus Cavernosum Penis

Abstract Introduction The relationship among exchange proteins activated by cAMP 1(EPAC1), androgen and erectile function is still unknown. Objective To explore whether EPAC1 expresses in penile corpus cavernosum of rats and how EPAC1 affects erectile function under low androgenic conditions. Methods Thirty 8-week-old healthy male rats were randomly divided into six groups (n=5): sham operation (sham), castrated, castrated + testosterone replacement (castrated + T), sham + EPAC1 over-expression lentivirus (sham + EPAC1), castrated + empty lentivirus vector (castrated + empty vector), and castrated + EPAC1. Four weeks after the operation, the lentivirus vectors carrying the EPAC1 gene were injected into the corpus cavernosum penis tissues of the sham + EPAC1 and castrated + EPAC1 groups (1×108TU/ml, 20 μl per rat). A week after injection, the ratio of maximum intracavernous pressure to mean arterial pressure (ICPmax/MAP) and the levels of serum testosterone (T), nitric oxide (NO), the active form of ras homolog gene family, member A (RhoA-GTP), protein kinase B (AKT), phospho-AKT (p-AKT), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), phospho-eNOS (p-eNOS), p-AKT/AKT, p-eNOS/eNOS and EPAC1 levels were measured. Results EPAC1 is primarily located in the cytoplasm of endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells in the rat corpus cavernosum penis. In comparison to the sham group, the T, ICPmax/MAP and NO levels of the castrated group were notably reduced (p < 0.01). Meanwhile, the RhoA-GTP concentration in the castrated + EPAC1 group was reduced in comparison with the castrated + empty vector group (p < 0.01). Compared with the castrated + empty vector group, the p-AKT/AKT, EPAC1 and p-eNOS/eNOS levels in the castrated + EPAC1 group were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Conclusions Androgen deficiency can suppress EPAC1 expression in the penile corpus cavernosum of rats, while the up-regulation of which can improve the erectile function of castrated rats. Disclosure Yes, this is sponsored by industry/sponsor: This study was supported by the Research Foundation of the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Sichuan Province of Returned Scholars grant 2019-76. Clarification: No industry support in study design or execution.

MP39-19 VISUALIZING EPISODE-SPECIFIC COSTS FOR RENAL COLIC: A MODEL FOR BUNDLE PAYMENT REFORM

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP39-19 VISUALIZING EPISODE-SPECIFIC COSTS FOR RENAL COLIC: A MODEL FOR BUNDLE PAYMENT REFORM Loren Oh, Charles Scales, Marisa Domino, and David Friedlander Loren OhLoren Oh More articles by this author , Charles ScalesCharles Scales More articles by this author , Marisa DominoMarisa Domino More articles by this author , and David FriedlanderDavid Friedlander More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003277.19AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Bundled payments are value-based reimbursement models that link payments to providers for episodes of care related to inpatient admissions for certain conditions. What remains a limitation of episode-based payments, however, is their inability to account for health care expenditures that may accrue prior to the inciting inpatient admission. Renal colic is uniquely suited to evaluate the association between pre- and post-operative events. Renal colic episodes often begin in the emergency department and may require both inpatient and ambulatory care prior to definitive surgery. Therefore, limiting bundles to inpatient admissions associated with surgery may miss important upstream events that influence post-operative outcomes. The objective of this study is to better understand how pre-operative costs may relate to operative and post-operative costs for a renal colic episode. METHODS: Using 2018 data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, we identified individuals in Maryland and Florida who had a renal colic diagnosis, a subsequent definitive surgical episode after diagnosis, and a post-surgical health care encounter within 90 days of surgery. We then limited our sample to individuals who had information about pre-operative, operative, and post-operative costs. We categorized individuals into quartiles based on incurred costs during the pre-operative, operative, and post-operative periods. We then plotted the number of individuals in each quartile across the care time horizon using a Sankey diagram to visualize costs throughout a renal colic episode. RESULTS: A total of 1,525 individuals in Florida and Maryland underwent definitive surgery for renal colic during the study period. When looking at the movement of individuals between pre-operative and operative quartiles, 207 of 381 individuals (54.3%) with the lowest pre-operative costs remained in either the 1st or 2nd quartile of operative costs. Meanwhile, 219 out of 381 individuals (57.3%) in the highest quartile had operative costs in the upper half. Similar results are seen when looking at movement of individuals between operative and post-operative quartiles. Most of the individuals in the lowest quartile of operative costs remained in the lowest quartile of post-operative costs while individuals in the highest quartile of operative costs remained in the top two quartiles of post-operative costs. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that pre-operative spending influences post-operative expenditures for an episode of renal colic, and accounting for this relationship may help inform future iterations of surgical payment bundles. Source of Funding: American Urological Association Research Scholars Grant © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e543 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Loren Oh More articles by this author Charles Scales More articles by this author Marisa Domino More articles by this author David Friedlander More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

"Nuns Don't Get Cervical Cancer": A Reproductive-Justice Approach to Understanding the Cervical-Cancer Prevention Crisis in Ireland

"Nuns Don't Get Cervical Cancer":A Reproductive-Justice Approach to Understanding the Cervical-Cancer Prevention Crisis in Ireland Beth Sundstrom (bio) From 2015 to 2018 scandals surrounding the human papilloma-virus (HPV) and cervical-cancer screening in the Republic of Ireland revealed serious deficiencies in the nation's health-care system. A misinformation campaign conducted in 2015 about the HPV vaccine resulted in a sharp decline in Irish vaccination levels, and in 2018 Ireland's CervicalCheck screening program was revealed to be flawed. In the Scally Report (2018), a scoping inquiry into the problems at CervicalCheck, key informants pointed to the significant gendered failings of the Irish health-care system, noting that "there is a history of looking at women's health services as being secondary," "women and women's rights are not taken seriously," and "paternalism is alive and well." The report identified the need for expert and committed attention to women's issues within the health-care system.1 Through an analysis of two scandals, the CervicalCheck screening program and the HPV-vaccination-misinformation campaign, this study investigates the cervical-cancer prevention crisis in Ireland through the lens of reproductive justice. HPV vaccination and cervical screening are health behaviors that illuminate the intersection of oppressions based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic position, ability, [End Page 292] age, gender, sexual orientation, and immigration status.2 These categories are best analyzed through an approach that foregrounds concepts of reproductive justice, underscoring intersectional oppressions in women's health care and advocating for truth telling as resistance. Indeed, this article is among the first studies to apply a reproductive-justice approach to the issues surrounding cervical-cancer prevention and HPV vaccination. Both the CervicalCheck screening program and the misinformation campaign about HPV vaccinations were rooted in unethical communication by the state and nongovernmental actors. Unethical communication is ingrained in hegemonic, paternalistic sociopolitical practices that mirror narratives of oppression based on gender, ethnicity, and nationality.3 By contrast, ethical communication is "socially oriented, empathically situated, and responsive to others."4 In the midst of Ireland's cervical-cancer prevention crisis, women and public-health advocates confronted unethical communication through digital intersectional communication by engaging in storytelling and truth telling about health, illness, and the body to confront, challenge, and change Ireland's health-care system. By privileging the voices of activists and experts in this article, I argue that the ways in which women and public-health advocates confronted the cervical-cancer prevention crisis in Ireland may be understood as a triumph of truth telling over the failure of unethical communication. Methods This qualitative study was part of a larger research project investigating reproductive justice in Ireland. This project offers a novel multiple-methods approach incorporating a variety of sources. Through a Fulbright U.S. Scholars Grant, I completed document analysis, interviews with activists, and participant observation in Ireland from [End Page 293] September to December 2018. Developing convergence of multiple sources of evidence provided data triangulation. To strengthen the reliability of the study, I followed Yin's principles to maintain a chain of evidence and organize the data collected for the study into an evidentiary base that included documents, field notes, interview transcriptions, and narrative compilations.5 I received institutional review-board approval for this research. The document-analysis portion of the study includes an investigation of published documentation on cervical-cancer prevention, including archival records and physical artifacts as well as traditional and social media. Archival research was conducted at the Boole Library, University College Cork, in its archival holdings of the records of the Attic Press, which included materials from the Irish women's movement covering the 1970s to the 1990s. I also conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with fifteen Irish activists working on reproductive justice; the quotations from activists in this article come from these interviews. In order to maintain the confidentiality of participants, all quotes from these interviews are included anonymously in this article. I also completed more than twenty hours of informal meetings and participant observation with experts and activists in Ireland. I collected publicly accessible documents (e.g., websites, press releases, reports, tweets, Facebook posts, YouTube videos, etc.) from twenty women's organizations. I...

From “Nurturing” to “Indecent”: Discomfort Towards Photographs of Breastfeeding Among Adults in Nova Scotia, Canada

Abstract Objectives Although the World Health Organization recommends continued breastfeeding for 2 years and beyond, adherence rates are low in Canada and the United States. One major barrier to following this recommendation is an unsupportive culture and social stigma around breastfeeding. Our objective was to assess attitudes towards photographs of breastfeeding children of varying ages and locations among the general population in Nova Scotia, Canada. Methods In a self-administered questionnaire, participants recruited in public spaces were asked to react to six photographs depicting women breastfeeding children aged 2 weeks, 13 months and 30 months in both private (e.g., home) and public (e.g., store) locations. Participants self-rated their comfort levels using a visual analog scale (VAS; scale from 0 [not at all comfortable] to 10 [very comfortable]), and also provided open-ended qualitative reactions to the images. Sociodemographic information was also collected. Results We surveyed 229 participants (60% women, 40% men). Mean age was 44 years (range 19–95 years), 73% self-identified as white, and 77% were born in Canada. The majority of participants were parents (69%), and 69% of parents reported that their children were breastfed. Mean (95% CI) self-rated comfort differed significantly by location and child age. VAS scores indicated higher comfort for images in private locations (7.9, 7.7–8.1) compared to public locations (7.3, 7.0–7.5; P = 0.001), and for images of younger (8.5, 8.3–8.7) compared to older children (6.9, 6.6–7.2; P < 0.001). Women and parents had higher comfort with all images compared to men and non-parents (P < 0.05). Younger participants (19–29 years) were less comfortable with images of public breastfeeding compared to older participants (P < 0.05). Text-based reactions suggest lower approval of images of public breastfeeding and increased child age, but varied highly, including comments from “nurturing” to “indecent”. Conclusions Comfort and acceptance of breastfeeding among adults in Nova Scotia is influenced by location and child age. Negative perceptions of public breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding into young childhood may affect adherence to global breastfeeding recommendations. Funding Sources Mount Saint Vincent University New Scholars Grant, CN Student Research Internship.

The Effects of Need-Based Financial Aid on Employment and Earnings: Experimental Evidence from the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars

In this paper, we leverage the random assignment of a need-based financial aid grant offer—the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars (FFWS) grant—and several sets of administrative records to provide experimental evidence on the effects of the grant offer on students’ in-state employment and earnings. For students in four-year universities, our results demonstrate significant employment reductions in the two years immediately following the aid offer as well as in the sixth, seventh, and eighth after receiving the randomized grant offer. We also find the aid offer to reduce these students’ in-state earnings throughout the full eight-year period we study. However, we show that the aid offer increases student grade point average, suggesting that the employment and earnings reductions during students’ in-college years are attributable to a reallocation of time and effort away from employment and toward coursework. For students’ post-college years, we provide suggestive evidence that the reductions are attributable to a combination of two mechanisms: 1) Reduced loan debt offering greater financial flexibility when selecting among employment options, and 2) Offer-induced outstate migration. We find little evidence that the FFWS grant offer affects the labor market outcomes of students in two-year institutions, although the effects for students in technical colleges are significantly more positive than the effects for students in two-year colleges in the University of Wisconsin System.

Experimental Evidence on the Impacts of Need‐Based Financial Aid: Longitudinal Assessment of the Wisconsin Scholars Grant

AbstractWe conduct the first long‐term experimental evaluation of a need‐based financial aid program, the privately funded Wisconsin Scholars Grant. Over multiple cohorts, the program failed to increase degree completion and graduate school enrollment up to 10 years after matriculation. The program did reduce time‐to‐degree for some students and modestly increased the number of STEM degrees earned. The lack of robust effects raises important questions about the conditions necessary for financial aid to benefit students.

Motivations to Adopt Plant-Based Diets: Data from the Adhering to Dietary Approaches for Personal Taste (ADAPT) Study (P16-024-19)

ObjectivesTo examine the differences in key motivations to adopt a dietary pattern (1) between self-reported plant-based diet followers and omnivores, and (2) among three types of plant-based diet followers: whole food, plant-based (WFPB), vegan, and vegetarian+pescatarian. MethodsAdhering to Dietary Approaches for Personal Taste (ADAPT) is an online survey that recruits followers of popular diets. Of the 2010 enrolled participants, 1227 participants described their diet as plant-based, either WFPB (n = 705), vegan (n = 388), vegetarian (n = 103), or pescatarian (n = 31). The remaining 783 participants were categorized as omnivores. A multiple choice question with a free text option prompted participants to indicate their reasons for adhering to their self-identified dietary pattern, and a follow-up question asked them to rank their key motivations for adherence. The percentage of participants who chose each response as one of their top 2 key motivators was tabulated within each dietary pattern. Logistic regression, adjusted for age and gender, was used to compare the prevalence of top reasons among dietary patterns. The results were considered significant if <P = 0.05 after Bonferroni correction. ResultsThe majority of both plant-based diet followers (79%) and of omnivores (83%) identified disease prevention and overall wellness as top motivations for following their dietary patterns. Significantly more plant-based diet followers, versus omnivores, chose helping the environment (17% vs. 4%) and supporting animal welfare (28% vs. 1%). Significantly more omnivores chose enjoyment (39% vs. 26%) and the need to address a specific health concern (44% vs. 29%). Significantly more WFPB followers (87%) chose disease prevention and overall wellness compared to vegans (71%) and vegetarians+pescatarians (66%). Significantly more vegans (47%) and vegetarians+pescatarians (33%) chose animal welfare than WFPB followers (15%). ConclusionsThe dietary motivations of plant-based diet followers are more diverse compared to those of omnivores. Among plant-based diet followers, WFPB followers often chose health motivations, and vegans, vegetarians, and pescatarians often chose ethical motivations. Funding SourcesThe Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation, Tufts Collaborates Seed Grant, Tufts Summer Scholars Grant, and USDA ARS agreement No. 58-1950-4-003.

A Morphometric Assessment of the Influence of EGCG on Down Syndrome Facial Morphology

Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic birth defect that results from Trisomy 21, which causes an overexpression of human chromosome 21 (HSA21) genes. Overexpressed HSA21 genes disturb development by altering morphogenesis and growth, resulting in cognitive impairment, characteristic facial morphology, and many other health problems for individuals with DS. The DYRK1A gene is found on chromosome 21 and is thought to play a significant role in cranial and neurological malformations associated with DS. Previous research has shown that EGCG, a compound that inhibits DYRK1A, has been used to improve cognition of individuals with DS as well as improve cranial vault morphology in Ts65Dn DS mouse models. Based on DYRK1A's strong role in brain and craniofacial development, and the fact that EGCG can reduce overexpression of this gene, we hypothesized that children with DS who have been supplemented with EGCG will exhibit improved facial morphology. We assessed children with DS who were supplemented with EGCG (n = 5), untreated children with DS (n = 72), siblings of individuals with DS (n = 49), and euploid controls (n = 40), aged from 0–3 years. Twenty‐one anatomical landmarks were identified on 3dMD facial images and the XYZ coordinates were saved for analysis. A Euclidean Distance Matrix Analysis (EDMA) based on a non‐parametric bootstrap was carried out (1,000 resamples) to assess statistically significant shape differences across samples. A total of 210 linear distance measurements were compared from each individual's facial image. The baseline comparison of DS faces with siblings and euploid controls revealed that 50% and 54% of linear distances were significantly different. However, when DS faces were compared to children with DS supplemented with EGCG, we found that only 26% of linear distances reached statistical significance. Overall, the results suggest that EGCG is producing positive changes in the faces of children with Down syndrome, however more research must be done for a more definitive answer.Support or Funding InformationFunding was received from the Burnett Research Scholars Grant, which was provided through the UCF Burnet Honers College. Funding was also received from the UCF Office of Undergraduate Research through the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Editorial introductions

Editorial introductions

Super‐resolution imaging of transcription in live mammalian cells

Gene activation is thought to involve a multistep process whereby transcription factors bind to distal enhancer sites, recruit the Mediator complex which contacts the pre‐initiating RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) complex assembled at the start site of the gene. The interaction of Mediator and Pol II has yet to be observed in the nucleus of living cells and the dynamics of this interaction are not yet elucidated. Here we use quantitative live cell super‐resolution and light sheet imaging to study the organization and dynamics of endogenous Mediator and Pol II directly in living mouse embryonic stem cells. In addition to forming transient clusters with average lifetimes of 11.1 (± 0.9) s, and 12.1 (± 1.4) s respectively, Mediator and Pol II also form previously uncharacterized large and stable clusters in stem cells (~15 stable clusters per cell). The large and stable Mediator and Pol II clusters gradually disappear within hours after induction of stem cell differentiation. Stable Mediator and Pol II clusters co‐localize with each other, as well as with pluripotency factors. Inhibition of Brd4 bromodomains necessary for enhancer association eliminates both Mediator and Pol II stable clusters, and inhibition of transcription elongation selectively eliminates stable Pol II but not stable Mediator clusters. Tracking of Mediator and Pol II stable clusters suggests they are chromatin associated and they coalesce upon contact, a property associated with phase separated droplets. We conclude that Mediator and Pol II associate in diffraction‐sized condensates with a define lifetime dependent on active transcription in living stem cells.Support or Funding InformationThis project is supported by the NIH Director's New Innovator award #DP2CA195769 to I.I.C. and The Pew Charitable Trusts through the PEW Biomedical Scholars grant to I.I.C.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Modification of CUL3 by Related to Ubiquitin (RUB) is partially regulated by the Phytochrome B pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Plant growth and development depends on detecting the different wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum in order to perceive light conditions and grow accordingly. Phytochrome B, a red and far‐red light photoreceptor in plants, plays an integral role in shade avoidance, flowering time, seed germination, and de‐etiolation. Proper degradation of this photoreceptor and the immediate downstream signaling components, the Phytochrome Interacting Factors (PIFs), is crucial to the function of these processes and occurs via the ubiquitin‐proteasome system. The Light Regulating Bric‐a‐Brac/Tramtrack/Broad Complex proteins (LRB1 and LRB2) interact with CUL3 to form an E3 ligase complex which facilitates the attachment of ubiquitin to phytochrome B and PIF proteins. In plants, cullin‐based E3 ligase activity is dependent on the attachment of RUB (the plant ortholog of NEDD8 in human and other species) to cullin. We found that the LRB proteins contain two highly conserved regions near the N‐terminus which are similar to regions on CUL1/2 and RBX1, and these regions may play a role in the Rubylation process. Further investigation determined that the levels of Rub‐modified CUL3 are modulated by red light, and the PhyB signaling pathway plays a role in this process. To determine if the N‐terminal region of the LRBs play a role in rubylation of CUL3, a truncated version of the LRB gene missing this highly conserved region was inserted into wild type and a lrb1 lrb2 double mutant in Arabidopsis thaliana. Phenotypic, genetic, and immunoblot analysis of homozygous lines featuring the truncated LRBs suggest that the N‐terminal region may affect the ability of the LRBs to regulate red light responses. Future analysis of this region will provide insight into its role in phytochrome degradation and rubylation of CUL3.Support or Funding InformationThis research is funded by an S3 Summer Scholars Grant through the Office of Undergraduate Research at Grand Valley State University

The Study of Inter-organizational Cooperation in Hospital —A Perspective of Resource-based Theory

Based on the resource-based theory, this study analyzed cross-organization cooperation and resource value of hospital medical departments in the viewpoint of rare, irreplaceable, and inimitability of a resource base model developed by scholars Grant and Barney. We interviewed 10 respondents in three regional hospitals and analyzed the interview contents according to the model. The important results are twofold: (a) The rare and irreplaceable resources owned by hospitals relate to the competitive advantage of the hospital; (b) Hospital medical collaboration across organizational divisions or self-development and medical divisions in professional competence are positively correlated.

Emergent Rhizomes: Posthumanist Environmental Ethics in the Participatory Art of Ala Plástica

Emergent Rhizomes:Posthumanist Environmental Ethics in the Participatory Art of Ala Plástica Vera Coleman A critical discussion of the artistic production of Ala Plástica, an internationally-recognized collaboration between Argentine artists and environmental activists Alejandro Meitin and Silvina Babich, demands the reconceptualization of the complex relationships between nature and culture, the material and the discursive, and human corporality and the environment. Ala Plástica’s interventions reveal that these categories are not ontologically distinct but rather co-constitutive and mutually implicated in the same emergent phenomena; the cultural is immanent in the material and vice versa. Specifically oriented toward threatened riparian ecosystems and their human communities, Ala Plástica’s initiatives respond to agendas formulated by local groups whose sustainable economies, public infrastructure and way of life are in a state of collapse due to corporate and government initiatives. These marginalized communities, which often suffer disproportionately the negative environmental and economic impact of development projects, often find their political efficacies paralyzed and their voices silenced. Rather than reproducing such vertical mechanisms of authority, Ala Plástica operates horizontally and rhizomatically, seeking to catalyze the material and political agencies of socionatural systems in processes of environmental and economic restoration while encouraging ethical interactions among human communities and the more-than-human world.1 Through works that fuse activism and artistic creation, Meitin and Babich “mobilize new forms of collective action and of creativity that challenge the unidirectional mode of perceiving reality” (Ala Plástica, “Interview”). This study examines two collaborative artistic exercises, Especies emergentes from 1995, and Ejercicio presa realized in 2001, in which Meitin and Babich activate simultaneously the creative and political agencies of local communities as well as the material agencies of coastal ecosystems situated within the Río de la Plata Estuary, one of the most biologically complex and densely populated areas of the Southern Cone. The analysis of Ala Plástica’s work demands an interdisciplinary perspective that engages scholarly material from both the humanities and the natural sciences. The contributions of contemporary art scholars Grant Kester (2006) and Malcolm Miles (2010) are particularly valuable in characterizing Especies emergentes and Ejercicio presa as works of collaborative, participatory art that merge reflexive representation with practical intervention in order to subvert authority [End Page 85] and transform reality. The theoretical orientation of the present study is rooted in posthumanism, which critiques the epistemological foundations of humanist thought and reconfigures reductionist concepts of matter, discourse, the subject, and agency that are grounded in ontological dualism. Theoretical physicist and feminist philosopher Karen Barad (2007) proposes an agential realist ontology that constitutes the principal theoretical framework of this study. According to Barad, phenomena are not exclusively social or material but rather material-discursive practices, and the concept of agency is reconfigured as the product of the dynamics of intra-activity rather than an as an attribute confined to the human sphere. This posthumanist ontology makes it possible to recognize the agency of the material world and of nonhuman others. Furthermore, through a discussion of Ala Plástica’s works, the figure of the rhizome emerges as a polyvalent metaphor for the artists’ methodology, for the interconnectedness of socionatural systems and for materiality itself. The two members that form the core of Ala Plástica, a not-for-profit NGO based in La Plata, Argentina, exemplify the interdisciplinary partnerships that often form in the interest of environmentally-inflected cultural production and activism. Silvina Babich is a professionally-trained artist skilled in the fiber arts. While Alejandro Meitin’s background is in law, he is also a member of Red de Arte Litoral (a network of artists and scholars who promote innovation in artistic practice and theory) and of the editorial board of the online arts and culture journal Latin Art. Both artists are active pedagogically and have given workshops, courses and lectures in various countries in Latin America, North America and Europe (“Participantes” 2). In collaboration, Babich and Meitin have successfully carried out more than thirty artistic and ecological interventions ranging from community environmental restoration projects to collaborative sculptures and emergent performances in over five countries since forming Ala Plástica in 1991 (Ala Plástica, Catálogo 1). The group...

The Red Menace Reconsidered: A Forgotten History of Communist Mobilization in Rio de Janeiro’s Favelas, 1945-1964

AbstractThis article focuses on the relationship between the political Left and Brazil’s urban poor by exploring the paradoxical role of Brazilian communists in the massive land struggles that mobilized Rio’s favelas against forced eviction in the mid-twentieth century. Without the communists’ organizational, legal, and political acumen, Rio’s iconic favelas might never have become a permanent and precious urban foothold for the migrant poor. Without the residents’ support, the Brazilian Communist Party might not have experienced electoral triumph in the late 1940s or maintained a strong political presence through the decades when it was declared illegal. And yet favela activists rarely acknowledge communist involvement in their struggles, and Communist activists and scholars grant such movements only a marginal, instrumental role in the Brazilian Communist movement. This dance of mutual forgetting reveals much about the subtle but persistent disjuncture between leftist ideology and grassroots political practice that characterized mid-twentieth-century Brazil. Analysts have long bemoaned and explored this disjuncture in the context of Brazil’s labor politics; this article argues that the gap between party doctrine and the massive, diffuse urban social movements of the mid-twentieth century was broader and more fateful still.

Structure‐Function Studies of the ADPGlucose Pyrophosphorylase from Thermodesulfovibrio yellowstonii

ADPGlucose pyrophosphorylase (ADPG PPase, glgC gene product) catalyzes the rate‐limiting step of glucan biosynthesis in plants and bacteria. Engineering of this enzyme family will allow for the increased production of renewable carbon. The Thermodesulfovibrio yellostonii (Td.y) glgC gene has been successfully cloned and the recombinant enzyme purified. This enzyme displays only ~30% identity to other characterized ADPG PPases and harbors unusual sequences in regions involved in regulation. Molecular modeling studies revealed that the Td.y enzyme was most similar to a plant enzyme, in accord with 3‐phosphoglycerate (3‐PGA) activation. Heat stability up to 75°C required the presence of ATP. Initial kinetic studies were performed at 37°C (pH 7.5) and revealed S0.5 values for ATP and Mg of 8.0 mM and 13.9 mM, respectively, and a Vmax value of 5.33 Units/mg. The metabolites PEP (2mM), glucose‐6‐phosphate ( 2 mM), and 3‐PGA (2 mM), were found to increase the apparent affinity for ATP by 4.2, 10.3, and 3.8‐fold, respectively. PEP also increased the Vmax by 2.0‐fold. Based on alignment studies and molecular modeling, the following site‐directed mutants have been generated to probe regulatory properties: E15S, F18K, F23R, S25A, and S28A. Complete characterization of the native and altered proteins is underway. Supported by NSF Award 0448676 and a CSUPERB Presidents’ Commission Scholars grant to E. Yik and C. R. Meyer.

Conditional Cash Transfers and College Persistence: Evidence from a Randomized Need‐Based Grant Program

We examine the impacts of a private need-based college financial aid program distributing grants at random among first-year Pell Grant recipients at thirteen public Wisconsin universities. The Wisconsin Scholars Grant of $3,500 per year required full-time attendance. Estimates based on four cohorts of students suggest that offering the grant increased completion of a full-time credit load and rates of re-enrollment for a second year of college. An increase of $1,000 in total financial aid received during a student’s first year of college was associated with a 2.8 to 4.1 percentage point increase in rates of enrollment for the second year.

ASHFoundation Offers New Century Awards

You have accessThe ASHA LeaderASHA News1 Mar 2011ASHFoundation Offers New Century Awards Beverly Ryan Beverly Ryan Google Scholar More articles by this author https://doi.org/10.1044/leader.AN3.16032011.33 SectionsAbout ToolsAdd to favorites ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2011/110315/ASHFoundation-Offers-New-Century-Awards.htm The American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation is now accepting applications and grant proposals for the 2011 New Century Scholars Program. Awards of $10,000 are available to doctoral students and teacher-investigators in communications sciences and disorders (CSD). Now in its ninth year, this special initiative, funded by the ASHFoundation’s Dreams and Possibilities Campaign, supports CSD doctoral education and research. In the past eight years, 63 doctoral candidates and 28 teacher-investigators have received $910,000 in New Century Program scholarships and grants. Rita Patel (right) rreceives a $10,000 New Century Scholars grant from Nancy Creaghead, former ASHFoundation President, at the ASHFoundation 2010 Foundation breakfast. Research Grants Up to five $10,000 grants for one- or two-year investigations are available to support innovative research by individuals committed to teacher-investigator careers in academia or external research institutes or laboratories. Selection criteria include the applicant’s ability and the research proposal methodology and feasibility. Funding supports the actual investigation and may not be used for indirect costs. Eligible applicants must submit an official application packet and research proposal. To be eligible, applicants must have received a PhD or equivalent research doctorate within CSD and must demonstrate the potential for and commitment to significant independent research that is directly applicable to communication sciences and disorders. The research setting must be conducive to completing the investigation. The deadline for grant proposal submissions is April 29. Doctoral Scholarships Up to 10 scholarships will be awarded to doctoral candidates planning to pursue a teacher-investigator career in higher education. Selection criteria include the applicant’s potential for doctoral study and ability to complete a doctoral program, as well as the student’s commitment to a career as a teacher-investigator. Scholarships may be used for educational support, such as tuition, books, school-related expenses, or living expenses. Eligible applicants must submit an official application packet. To be eligible, students must be accepted or enrolled in a CSD research doctoral program (PhD or equivalent; includes new PhD, continuing PhD, bachelor’s-to-PhD, and professionals returning to school). Students must be a member of ASHA or the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association at the time of application. The deadline for scholarship application submission is May 2. Application Guidelines Application materials, information, and profiles of past recipients are available at the ASHFoundation website or by calling 800-498-2071, ext. 8703. Applicants are urged to request required institutional documentation as soon as possible to allow university personnel time to process paperwork before the deadline. No extensions will be granted; no fax copies will be accepted. Awards will be distributed in November at the 2011 ASHA Convention in San Diego. Author Notes ASHFoundation annual fundraising manager, can be reached at [email protected]. Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Additional Resources FiguresSourcesRelatedDetails Volume 16Issue 3March 2011 Get Permissions Add to your Mendeley library History Published in print: Mar 1, 2011 Metrics Downloaded 57 times Topicsleader_do_tagleader-topicsasha-article-typesCopyright & Permissions© 2011 American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationLoading ...

SU‐GG‐J‐20: Methods for Improvement of Clip Localization in CBTS for Breast Cancer Patients Setup Verification

Purpose: To establish clip localization procedures for setup verification of breast cancer patients based on Cone‐Beam Tomosynthesis (CBTS). To develop an automatic clips registration algorithm and characterize its accuracy and efficiency versus the manual procedure. Furthermore, to determine potential benefits of 80°CBTS over 40°CBTS. Method and Materials: CBTS and CBCT images were reconstructed for 7 breast cancer patients with surgical clips implanted around the tumor cavity. Known shifts of patient anatomy were introduced and registration of clips was carried between the reference and treatment reconstructions using two methods: manual and automatic. Manual method relied on matching of clips in CBTS with clip contours drawn in the reference CT. An automatic clip localization method consisted of two image processing steps: auto‐segmentation using multi‐level thresholding and prior knowledge about clip size and locations followed by auto‐registration of the segmented clips. Results: The automatic method was developed and demonstrated to accurately localize clips with Hounsfield Units &gt; 460 with an accuracy of better than 2.5mm. Accuracy of manual method registration was slightly better (accuracy &lt;1.5 mm). However, time efficiency of manual method was up to a few minutes depending on the spatial distribution of the clips, their HU, CBTS‐specific artifacts and experience level of the users. Performance of the automatic method is user independent and fast. Conclusion: Surgical clips can be accurately localized in CBTS images used for breast cancer patient setup using both methods. The manual clip localization is user dependent and generally inefficient. In order to improve the efficiency of the setup procedure, automatic clip registration is recommended. The automatic algorithm based on multi‐level thresholding is straightforward to implement on linac‐mounted CBCT systems with estimated time of clip localization of up to a few seconds. Conflict of Interest: This research was funded by Kaye Scholars Grant.

SELF‐REPORTED VERSUS MEASURED HEIGHT AND WEIGHT IN THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY

SELF‐REPORTED VERSUS MEASURED HEIGHT AND WEIGHT IN THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY