Search

Birds are used as bioindicators of environmental mercury (Hg) contamination, and toxicity reference values are needed for injury assessments. We conducted a comprehensive review, summarized data from 168 studies, performed a series of Bayesian hierarchical meta‐analyses, and developed new toxicity reference values for the effects of methylmercury (MeHg) on birds using a benchmark dose analysis framework. Lethal and sublethal effects of MeHg on birds were categorized into nine biologically relevant endpoint categories and three age classes. Effective Hg concentrations where there was a 10% reduction (EC10) in the production of juvenile offspring (0.55 µg/g wet wt adult blood‐equivalent Hg concentrations, 80% credible interval: [0.33, 0.85]), histology endpoints (0.49 [0.15, 0.96] and 0.61 [0.09, 2.48]), and biochemical markers (0.77 [<0.25, 2.12] and 0.57 [0.35, 0.92]) were substantially lower than those for survival (2.97 [2.10, 4.73] and 5.24 [3.30, 9.55]) and behavior (6.23 [1.84, >13.42] and 3.11 [2.10, 4.64]) of juveniles and adults, respectively. Within the egg age class, survival was the most sensitive endpoint (EC10 = 2.02 µg/g wet wt adult blood‐equivalent Hg concentrations [1.39, 2.94] or 1.17 µg/g fresh wet wt egg‐equivalent Hg concentrations [0.80, 1.70]). Body morphology was not particularly sensitive to Hg. We developed toxicity reference values using a combined survival and reproduction endpoints category for juveniles, because juveniles were more sensitive to Hg toxicity than eggs or adults. Adult blood‐equivalent Hg concentrations (µg/g wet wt) and egg‐equivalent Hg concentrations (µg/g fresh wet wt) caused low injury to birds (EC1) at 0.09 [0.04, 0.17] and 0.04 [0.01, 0.08], moderate injury (EC5) at 0.6 [0.37, 0.84] and 0.3 [0.17, 0.44], high injury (EC10) at 1.3 [0.94, 1.89] and 0.7 [0.49, 1.02], and severe injury (EC20) at 3.2 [2.24, 4.78] and 1.8 [1.28, 2.79], respectively. Maternal dietary Hg (µg/g dry wt) caused low injury to juveniles at 0.16 [0.05, 0.38], moderate injury at 0.6 [0.29, 1.03], high injury at 1.1 [0.63, 1.87], and severe injury at 2.4 [1.42, 4.13]. We found few substantial differences in Hg toxicity among avian taxonomic orders, including for controlled laboratory studies that injected Hg into eggs. Our results can be used to quantify injury to birds caused by Hg pollution. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:1195–1241. Published 2024. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eggshell thickness can be an indicator of environmental pollution in wild birds and shell quality in wild and domestic birds, but it is difficult to measure calcite eggshell thickness due to the presence of the adherent outer eggshell membrane. Eggshells of 13 waterbird species were divided in half longitudinally and the outer membrane was removed from one of the halves. Subsequently, we measured eggshell thickness, both with and without the outer eggshell membrane, using a Hall-effect thickness gauge to the nearest 0.001 mm along the equator of each eggshell half. Outer eggshell membrane thicknesses ranged from 0.014 to 0.073 mm. Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) and California Gull (Larus californicus) had the thickest eggshell membranes (0.056 and 0.073 mm, respectively), and Green Heron (Butorides virescens) and Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) had the thinnest membranes (0.014 and 0.022 mm, respectively). The eggshell membrane, as a percent of the total eggshell and membrane thickness, varied among the 13 species and ranged among species from 7.9% to 20.6%. The outer membrane comprised a greater percent of the total eggshell and membrane thickness for Black Skimmer (19.3%; Rynchops niger), California Gull (20.5%), and Forster's Tern (20.6%; Sterna forsteri) than for Green Heron (7.9%), Double-crested Cormorant (10.4%; Phalacrocorax auritus), and Western Grebe (10.6%; Aechmophorus occidentalis). Within species, the outer membrane thickness was not correlated with egg morphometrics but, for a subset of species, there was some indication that the calcite eggshell thickness decreases with embryo development (age). We discuss several reasons for conducting future eggshell thickness measurements without removing the membrane. El grosor de la cáscara de huevo puede ser indicador de la contaminación ambiental en aves silvestres y de calidad de la cáscara tanto en aves silvestres como domésticas, pero es difícil medir el grosor de la calcita de la cáscara de huevo por la presencia de la membrana externa adherente. Cáscaras de huevos de 13 especies de aves acuáticas fueron divididas en mitades longitudinales y la membrana externa fue removida de una de las dos mitades. Luego medimos el grosor de las cáscaras de huevo, tanto con como sin membrana externa, usando calibrador de grosor de efecto Hall con al 0.001 mm más cercano, próximo al ecuador de cada mitad de la cáscara de huevo. El grosor de la membrana externa varió entre 0.014 to 0.073 mm. El charrán Hydroprogne caspia y la gaviota Larus californicus tuvieron las membranas más gruesas (0.056 and 0.073 mm, respectivamente), mientras que la garcita verde (Butorides virescens) y el chorlo Charadrius vociferus tuvieron las membranas más delgadas (0.014 y 0.022 mm, respectivamente). La membrana del cascarón como porcentaje de la suma del grosor del cascarón y de la membrana, varió entre las 13 especies de 7.9% a 20.6%. La membrana externa representó un mayor porcentaje del grosor total de cáscara de huevo y membrana para rayador Rynchops niger (19.3%), la gaviota (20.5%) y el charrán Sterna forsteri (0.6%) que para la garcita verde (7.9%), cormorán Phalacrocorax auritus (10.4%) y archichilique Aechmophorus occidentalis (10.6%). Dentro de las especies, el grosor de la membrana externa no estaba correlacionado con la morfometría del huevo pero, para un subconjunto de especies, hubo algunos indicios de que el grosor de la calcita de la cáscara de huevo disminuyó con el desarrollo del embrión (edad). Discutimos varias razones para llevar a cabo mediciones futuras de grosor de cáscara de huevo sin remover la membrana. Palabras clave: medida de cáscara de huevo, membrana de cáscara de huevo, grosor de cáscara de huevo, calibrador de grosor de efecto Hall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep ocean foraging northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) consume fish and squid in remote depths of the North Pacific Ocean. Contaminants bioaccumulated from prey are subsequently transferred by adult females to pups during gestation and lactation, linking pups to mercury contamination in mesopelagic food webs (200–1000 m depths). Maternal transfer of mercury to developing seal pups was related to maternal mercury contamination and was strongly correlated with maternal foraging behavior (biotelemetry and isotopes). Mercury concentrations in lanugo (hair grown in utero) were among the highest observed worldwide for young pinnipeds (geometric mean 23.01 μg/g dw, range 8.03–63.09 μg/g dw; n = 373); thus, some pups may be at an elevated risk of sub-lethal adverse health effects. Fetal mercury exposure was affected by maternal foraging geographic location and depth; mercury concentrations were highest in pups of the deepest diving, pelagic females. Moreover, pup lanugo mercury concentrations were strongly repeatable among successive pups of individual females, demonstrating relative consistency in pup mercury exposure based on maternal foraging strategies. Northern elephant seals are biosentinels of a remote deep-sea ecosystem. Our results suggest that mercury within North Pacific mesopelagic food webs may also pose an elevated risk to other mesopelagic-foraging predators and their offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep ocean foraging northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) consume fish and squid in remote depths of the North Pacific Ocean. Contaminants bioaccumulated from prey are subsequently transferred by adult females to pups during gestation and lactation, linking pups to mercury contamination in mesopelagic food webs (200–1000 m depths). Maternal transfer of mercury to developing seal pups was related to maternal mercury contamination and was strongly correlated with maternal foraging behavior (biotelemetry and isotopes). Mercury concentrations in lanugo (hair grown in utero) were among the highest observed worldwide for young pinnipeds (geometric mean 23.01 μg/g dw, range 8.03–63.09 μg/g dw; n = 373); thus, some pups may be at an elevated risk of sub-lethal adverse health effects. Fetal mercury exposure was affected by maternal foraging geographic location and depth; mercury concentrations were highest in pups of the deepest diving, pelagic females. Moreover, pup lanugo mercury concentrations were strongly repeatable among successive pups of individual females, demonstrating relative consistency in pup mercury exposure based on maternal foraging strategies. Northern elephant seals are biosentinels of a remote deep-sea ecosystem. Our results suggest that mercury within North Pacific mesopelagic food webs may also pose an elevated risk to other mesopelagic-foraging predators and their offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education is one of the key tools of nation-building, as it aims to create future citizens. Yet what happens in seemingly 'futureless' contexts where refugees cannot access even social membership, let alone legal citizenship? In this introduction to our special issue on education for refugees, we explore the aspirations and conceptions of possible futures that students, teachers, governments, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), and funders have when they promote and pursue education as the solution to the liminal position that refugees in protracted refugee situations find themselves in. Based on insights from the articles, we analyse disconnects between aspirations for education and realities of access to quality education and to opportunities after completing education. We argue that to address these disconnects requires us to move beyond temporal and spatial binaries—present vs. future, here vs. there—that are so common in refugee education discourse and policy. Our suggestion is to draw on and support stakeholders' work, powerfully exemplified in this special issue, to contribute to improved conditions through pedagogies, practices, and policies that address these binaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nest predation is the main cause of nest failure for ducks. Understanding how habitat features influence predator movements may facilitate management of upland and wetland breeding habitats that reduces predator encounter rates with duck nests and increases nest survival rates. For 1618 duck nests, nest survival increased with distance to phragmites (Phragmites australis), shrubs, telephone poles, human structures, and canals, but not for four other habitat features. Using GPS collars, we tracked 25 raccoons (Procyon lotor) and 16 striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) over 4 years during waterfowl breeding and found marked differences in how these predators were located relative to specific habitat features; moreover, the probability of duck nests being encountered by predators differed by species. Specifically, proximity to canals, wetlands, trees, levees/roads, human structures, shrubs, and telephone poles increased the likelihood of a nest being encountered by collared raccoons. For collared skunks, nests were more likely to be encountered if they were closer to canals, trees, and shrubs, and farther from wetlands and human structures. Most predator encounters with duck nests were attributable to a few individuals; 29.2% of raccoons and 38.5% of skunks were responsible for 95.6% of total nest encounters. During the central span of duck nesting (April 17–June 14: 58 nights), these seven raccoons and five skunks encountered >1 nest on 50.8 ± 29.2% (mean ± SD) and 41.5 ± 28.3% of nights, respectively, and of those nights individual raccoons and skunks averaged 2.60 ± 1.28 and 2.50 ± 1.09 nest encounters/night, respectively. For collared predators that encountered >1 nest, a higher proportion of nests encountered by skunks had evidence of predation (51.9 ± 26.6%) compared to nests encountered by raccoons (22.3 ± 17.1%). Because duck eggs were most likely consumed as raccoons and skunks opportunistically discovered nests, managing the habitat features those predators most strongly associated with could potentially reduce rates of egg predation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In higher education, a primary concern with online learning versus in-person learning centers on offering and facilitating effective communication and collaboration opportunities for students. New technologies, specifically free and open source system (FOSS) applications, help bridge these gaps by giving instructors and students the means to effectively collaborate online. Instructors appear to be at the forefront of integrating these tools, as they are adopting free online applications for their courses on their own, but they do not have readily available support from their institution, particularly for incorporating these tools with a learning management system (LMS). A study including 165 higher education instructors determined the most prominent FOSS applications adopted by faculty, as well as what areas institutions can dedicate support through resources and personnel. Based on these results, the research provided an understanding of how institutions can implement support for instructors to combine FOSS applications with an institution’s LMS successfully. Institutions should concentrate on personnel support and provide their faculty with guided resources, best practices, training, and professional development opportunities to increase use and keep it consistent across their digital campus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Negative affect has been implicated in risk for the development of problematic drinking behavior. Furthermore, there is evidence for reciprocal relationships between negative affect and problem drinking, such that engagement in problem drinking also predicts increases in negative affect. However, affective models of risk often fail to consider affective lability—the experience of rapidly changing mood. Although affective lability appears to increase risk for problem drinking, it is unknown if this relationship persists above and beyond other affect-related constructs (e.g. depression, anxiety) and if it is reciprocal in nature. Accordingly, we used a longitudinal survey design to examine (a) if affective lability predicts problem drinking above and beyond depression and anxiety and (b) if affective lability and problem drinking demonstrate a reciprocal relationship. Methods First-year college students (n  = 358) participated in a three wave longitudinal study. We constructed a structural equation model (SEM) of a random intercept cross-lagged panel model to test our hypotheses. Results Consistent with our hypotheses, affective lability predicted increases in problem drinking while anxiety and depression did not. Problem drinking and affective lability demonstrated a reciprocal relationship in which increases in one predicted increases in the other at subsequent time points. This relationship was present beyond the predictive effects of anxiety or depression. Conclusions Affective lability appears to be an important affect-based predictor of problem drinking, and there may be a reciprocal, risk-enhancing relationship between affective lability and problem drinking. Components of negative affect, such as depression or anxiety, have been shown to predict risk for problem drinking, and vice versa. A less considered construct, affective lability, predicted problem drinking while anxiety and depression did not add any predictive power. Problem drinking and affective lability also appeared to demonstrate a reciprocal relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper timing of critical care nutrition has long been a matter of controversy. Critical illness waxes and wanes in stages, creating a dynamic flux in energy needs that we have only begun to examine. Furthermore, response to nutrition support likely differs greatly at the level of the individual patient in regard to genetic status, disease stage, comorbidities, and more. We review the observational and randomized literature concerning timing in nutrition support, discuss mechanisms of harm in feeding critically ill patients, and highlight the role of precision nutrition for moving the literature beyond the realm of blunt population averages into one that accounts for the patient-specific complexities of critical illness and host genetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulipristal acetate could serve as an alternative method of cervical preparation before second-trimester abortion procedures, thereby aiding clinicians in providing timely abortion care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incubating birds must balance the needs of their developing embryos with their own physiological needs, and many birds accomplish this by taking periodic breaks from incubation. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and gadwall (Mareca strepera) hens typically take incubation recesses in the early morning and late afternoon, but recesses can also take place at night. We examined nocturnal incubation recess behavior for mallard and gadwall hens nesting in Suisun Marsh, California, USA, using iButton temperature dataloggers and continuous video monitoring at nests. Fourteen percent of all detected incubation recesses (N = 13,708) were nocturnal and took place on 20% of nest‐days (N = 8,668). Video monitoring showed that hens covered their eggs with down feathers when they initiated a nocturnal recess themselves as they would a diurnal recess, but they left the eggs uncovered in 94% of the nocturnal recesses in which predators appeared at nests. Thus, determining whether or not eggs were left uncovered during a recess can provide strong indication whether the recess was initiated by the hen (eggs covered) or a predator (eggs uncovered). Because nest temperature decreased more rapidly when eggs were left uncovered versus covered, we were able to characterize eggs during nocturnal incubation recesses as covered or uncovered using nest temperature data. Overall, we predicted that 75% of nocturnal recesses were hen‐initiated recesses (eggs covered) whereas 25% of nocturnal recesses were predator‐initiated recesses (eggs uncovered). Of the predator‐initiated nocturnal recesses, 56% were accompanied by evidence of depredation at the nest during the subsequent nest monitoring visit. Hen‐initiated nocturnal recesses began later in the night (closer to morning) and were shorter than predator‐initiated nocturnal recesses. Our results indicate that nocturnal incubation recesses occur regularly (14% of all recesses) and, similar to diurnal recesses, most nocturnal recesses (75%) are initiated by the hen rather than an approaching predator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We offer a theory for understanding the political economy of social services for refugees as distinct from citizens. • Unique political economy features have implications for how states view responsibility and incentives for providing education. • We argue that the political economy of refugees requires addressing assumptions about responsibility and time horizons. • Policies related to integration will require new and different ways of working than the status quo in national education systems. In this theory generating article, we take up the question of what shapes the role of host governments in social service provision for refugees, using the case of education. We consider the ways in which traditional theories relevant to the political economy of education vary under a responsibility sharing model of refugee education that has developed in recent years. Under a traditional development approach, in which refugees are integrated into national systems over the long-run, like in the United States or Canada, we would expect the political economy of education to operate similarly to national or other migrant populations. Under a humanitarian model, we would expect responsibility for service provision to align clearly with humanitarian actors, with demands, purposes, and incentives distinct from and minimally entangled with those of hosting states. Under new responsibility sharing models, lines of responsibility become opaque and the political economy of education, including ideas about the purposes of education, actors and the nature of demand, and incentives for its provision become more complex. We argue that the political economy of refugees can be understood as distinct from the political economy for citizens as it requires addressing fundamental questions of responsibility and assumptions about time horizons. Our proposed conceptualization of the political economy of refugees draws on theories from political science, economics, sociology, education, and refugee studies. As host countries and the global community grapple with decisions about services for refugees across sectors, it is critical to understand ways in which factors shaping the political economy may be distinct from national citizens to ensure that approaches are equitable and effective for refugees and host communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Coping reasons have increased among adolescents who use marijuana. • 53% of adolescents who use marijuana use to relax. • Girls were more likely than boys to report coping reasons. • Black and Hispanic adolescents were more likely than White to report coping reasons. This study examines historical trends in coping reasons for marijuana use among adolescents (1976–2022) and explores sociodemographic variations in recent years (2016–2022). Data from U.S. national samples of 12th grade adolescents in the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study were used to examine long-term trends (1976–2022, N = 43,237) and recent differences by sociodemographic characteristics (2016–2022, N = 3,816). Measures included marijuana use, coping reasons for use, and sociodemographic characteristics. The most prevalent coping reason across time was "relax," endorsed by 52.9% of past 12-month users. Coping reasons mostly exhibited significant increases over time. Sociodemographic factors were associated with coping reasons. Females had higher odds of using marijuana to escape problems and get through the day (vs. males). Black respondents were more likely to use marijuana to get through the day, and Hispanic respondents were more likely to use to relax (vs. White respondents). Those with lower (vs. higher) parental education were more likely to use due to anger/frustration and to escape problems. Adolescents who used marijuana frequently (vs. less often) had higher odds of endorsing all coping reasons. There was no robust evidence of interactions between sociodemographic characteristics and year. Results indicate a consistent increase in coping reasons for adolescent marijuana use over time, with variations based on sociodemographic characteristics. The findings highlight the importance of understanding subpopulations of adolescents who have higher risk of coping-related marijuana use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific approach to rehabilitation after surgical management of the unstable shoulder is dependent on the severity and chronicity of the instability. Establishing dynamic stability throughout the athlete's functional range of movement is critical to a successful outcome. The pace progression is guided by surgical (technique, injury pattern, and strength of repair) and patient factors (healing potential, prior health status, and psychosocial factors). The primary goal of treatment is to restore function and return the athlete to sport. The process should be guided by surpassing functional criteria for progression and tissue healing time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014 and 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services authorized nutrition-related ordering privileges for registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) in hospital and long-term care settings, respectively. Despite this practice advancement, information describing current parenteral nutrition (PN) and enteral nutrition (EN) ordering practices is lacking. Dietitians in Nutrition Support, a dietetic practice group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Dietetics Practice Section of the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) utilized a survey to describe PN and EN ordering practices among RDNs in the United States. A cross-sectional study design was utilized to describe RDN PN and EN ordering privileges. Respondents were asked to describe PN and EN ordering privileges, primary practice setting, primary patient population served, nutrition specialty certification, highest degree earned, career length, and, if applicable, the nature of prior denials for ordering privileges or reasons for not applying for ordering privileges. Seven hundred two RDNs completed the survey (12% response rate), with 664 RDNs providing complete data. The majority of respondents (n=558) cared for adult/geriatric patients. Among this subset, 47% had no PN ordering privileges; 14% could order and sign PN; 28% could order PN with provider cosignature; and 10% could order partial PN with provider cosignature. Nineteen percent of RDNs had no EN ordering privileges; 37% could order and sign EN; and 44% could order EN with provider cosignature. RDNs with ordering privileges were more likely to have a nutrition specialty certification and work in an academic or community hospital setting. PN and EN ordering privileges are varied because of institution and state requirements. Future research describing the outcomes associated with RDN ordering privileges is needed. This article has been approved by the Academy's Research, International, and Scientific Affairs team and Council on Research and the ASPEN Board of Directors. This article has been co-published with permission in Nutrition in Clinical Practice. The articles are identical except for minor stylistic and spelling differences in keeping with each journal's style. Either citation can be used when citing this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores the civic education of refugees within the context of a radical global policy shift to include refugees in national education systems. I argue that this shift has promoted structural inclusion of refugees in national schooling but has not adequately engaged with the relational processes of inclusion. I explore two central dilemmas for civic education in this context: the dilemma of nation-state-centric curriculum and national narratives that do not include refugees; and the dilemma of marginalisation of refugees within national education systems and limited spaces for refugees to imagine or enact civic behaviours. I examine these dilemmas through a synthesis of existing literature, both historical and contemporary, that addresses civic dimensions of the educational experiences of refugee children while also drawing on my original research with refugee children and in refugee-hosting schools and from interviews with national and global actors. I conclude with reflections on the implications of these dilemmas for future research to inform school-based practices in refugee education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eggshell thickness is important for physiological, ecological, and ecotoxicological studies on birds; however, empirical eggshell thickness measurements for many species and regions are limited. We measured eggshell thickness at the equator and the egg poles for 12 avian species and related eggshell thickness to egg morphometrics, embryonic development, egg status, and mercury contamination. Within an egg, eggshells were approximately 5.1% thicker at the equator than the sharp pole of the egg, although this difference varied among species (0.6%-9.8%). Within Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri), where eggshell thickness was measured at 5 equally spaced positions along the longitude of the egg, eggshell thickness changed more rapidly near the sharp pole of the egg compared to near the blunt pole of the egg. Within species, eggshell thickness was related to egg width and egg volume for six of the 12 species but was not related to egg length for any species. Among species, mean eggshell thickness was strongly related to species mean egg width, egg length, egg volume, and bird body mass, although species mean body mass was the strongest predictor of species mean eggshell thickness. Using three species (American avocet [Recurvirostra americana], black-necked stilt [Himantopus mexicanus], and Forster's tern), whose nests were carefully monitored, eggshell thickness (including the eggshell membrane) did not differ among viable, naturally abandoned, dead, or failed-tohatch eggs; was not related to total mercury concentrations of the egg content; and did not decrease with embryonic age. Our study also provides a review of all existing eggshell thickness data for these 12 species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the ways in which young Syrian refugees perceive and navigate the symbolic boundaries of belonging when displaced in Lebanon. Using portraiture, we identify three dimensions of belonging for refugees – safety, dignity, and relationships – and we explore the role of education in cultivating each one. We find that educational spaces, such as formal school and informal volunteering experiences, are places where refugee young people are at times able to blur bright boundaries of belonging. We also find that this belonging is tenuous and serves to reinforce boundaries of citizenship, rights, and everyday practices that exclude refugee young people. Our findings emphasize the need for the field of refugee education to address the question of how schools can actively resist and counter state-established bright boundaries of belonging to instead serve as spaces that blur and redefine those boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research article, Sarah Dryden-Peterson explores the concept of researcher positionality, focusing on its malleability over time. The methodological analysis is situated in an empirical study of history teaching and learning in Cape Town, South Africa, schools in 1998 and 2019. Dryden-Peterson argues that researcher positionality is often articulated as static, ignoring temporal shifts. She analyzes the ways shifts in identities, comparative frames, and positions on expertise and vulnerability have implications for how researchers collect and interpret their data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the understood purposes of refugee education at global, national, and school levels. To do so, we focus on a radical shift in global policy to integrate refugees into national education systems and the processes of vernacularization accompanying its widespread implementation. We use a comparative case study approach; our dataset comprises global policy documents and original interviews (n = 147) and observations in 14 refugee-hosting nation-states. We analyze how the purposes of refugee education are understood and acted upon by actors occupying diverse positions across these nation-states and over time. We demonstrate that the articulated purposes of refugee education are oriented toward possible futures for refugees, and they presuppose refugees' access to quality education, social belonging, and economic opportunities. Yet we find that across nation-states of exile, refugees' access to these resources is tenuous. Our findings suggest reconceptualizing refugee education to reflect how refugees are simultaneously embedded within multiple national contexts and to address the exclusions they face within each one. This study of refugee education has implications for understanding the purposes of education in other ever-more-common contexts of uncertainty, including the rapid economic and social changes brought about by migration, globalization, and technology. Empirically, understanding the purposes of refugee education is critical in a time of unprecedented forced migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative and positive urgency (the disposition to act rashly when in a highly negative or positive mood, respectively) have been identified as strong correlates of problem drinking and other addictive behaviors and potent predictors of subsequent drinking onset and increase (Peterson & Smith, 2017; Smith & Cyders, 2016). An unaddressed, important question about the validity of the urgency traits is whether they represent functionally distinct constructs or simply the interaction between lack of planning (the disposition to act rashly) and negative or positive affectivity (the disposition to experience negative or positive mood). If urgency is better represented by interactions between lack of planning and affect, there is no need for urgency risk models or separate urgency measures (Smith & Cyders, 2016). In a longitudinal adolescent sample, we tested whether (a) negative urgency differed from the interaction between lack of planning and negative affect, (b) positive urgency differed from the interaction between lack of planning and positive affect, and (c) each urgency trait predicted the subsequent onset of, and increases in, drinking behavior separately from the corresponding interaction. We found that (a) the corresponding interaction accounted for only 1-3% of the variance in negative or positive urgency, and (b) negative (or positive) urgency prospectively predicted drinking behavior but the corresponding interaction did not. These findings suggest that the urgency traits are distinct from interactions between affect and lack of planning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents are at high risk for unintended pregnancy and rapid repeat pregnancy, both of which can be associated with negative health and social outcomes. Intrauterine device (IUD) use has been shown to decrease unintended pregnancy and rapid repeat pregnancy. Evidence supports IUD insertion postabortion and postpartum as safe and practical for nearly all women, including adolescent and young adult women. Providers of adolescent gynecology can play an important role in decreasing repeat and unintended pregnancy among adolescents by increasing access to IUDs, reducing barriers to care, and providing IUDs immediately postabortion and postpartum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: To determine whether transdiagnostic risk, represented as elevations in one high‐risk personality trait, interacts with behavior‐specific risk, represented as elevated expectancies for reinforcement from either drinking or smoking, to account partly for early adolescent drinking and smoking behavior. Design Multiple regression analysis. Setting: Twenty‐three public schools in two school systems in the United States. Participants: A sample of 1897 adolescents tested in the spring of 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th grades. Measurements Transdiagnostic risk was measured as negative urgency, the tendency to act rashly when distressed, using the UPPS‐P child version. Drinking‐specific and smoking‐specific risk were measured as expectancies for reinforcement from drinking and smoking, using the Memory Model‐Based Expectancy Questionnaire (alcohol) and the Adolescent Smoking Consequences Questionnaire (smoking). Findings There was consistent concurrent prediction from the interactions of (a) negative urgency and alcohol reinforcement expectancies to early adolescent drinking and (b) negative urgency and smoking reinforcement expectancies to early adolescent smoking, above and beyond prediction from the main effects of those variables. In each case, expectancies were more predictive at higher levels of negative urgency. Incremental R2 values for main effects ranged from 0.07 to 0.26, and for interactions ranged from 0.01 to 0.03. Prospectively, the main effects predicted subsequent behavior but the interaction effects did not, except in one case. Conclusions: Among elementary and high school students in the United States, the joint effects of negative urgency and behavior‐specific expectancies help to explain drinking and smoking behavior. Joint elevations on the trait and the learning variable account for drinking and smoking behavior beyond the main effects of each predictor. However, there is reason to doubt whether the joint effects predict subsequent increases in drinking and smoking beyond the main effects of those variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feathers are widely used to represent mercury contamination in birds. Yet, few recommendations exist that provide guidance for using bird feathers in mercury monitoring programs. We conducted a literature review and 5 experiments to show that mercury concentrations vary substantially within (vane >100% higher than calamus) and among (>1000%) individual feathers from the same bird. We developed a research tool and guidelines for using bird feathers for mercury studies based on 3 components: 1) variability of feather mercury concentrations within an individual bird (coefficient of variation), 2) desired accuracy of the measured mercury concentration, and 3) feather and bird mass. Our results suggest a general rule that if the goal is to limit analytical and processing costs by using whole feathers in only one sample boat, then to achieve an accuracy within 10% of a bird's overall average feather mercury concentration a bird with a coefficient of variation ≤10% must be <190 g (size of a large shorebird). To achieve an accuracy within 20%, a bird with a coefficient of variation ≤10% must be <920 g (a large duck). When more than one sample boat is needed to fit the required number of feathers to achieve the desired accuracy, the results suggest homogenizing feathers and analyzing an aliquot of ≥20 mg for mercury. The present study suggests increasing the number of feathers typically used per bird to assess mercury concentrations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:1164–1187. Published 2019 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the role of instant messaging chat groups to support teacher training and gender equity initiatives in Kenyan refugee camps. Our findings are based on survey data with refugee teachers in Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps (n = 203), group interviews with refugee teachers in Kakuma (n = 21), and interviews with international instructors of teacher training programs in Nairobi, Toronto, and Vancouver (n = 14). In our analysis, we apply amplification theory, feminist science and technology studies paradigms, and considerations of transnational approaches to understand the use of instant messaging among refugee teacher communities. Our framework explores how social and cultural norms are amplified through transnational text and instant messaging related to teacher training and in support of gender equity. Peer-to-peer group chats draw on transnational learning opportunities and expand these engagements through group chats between men and women refugee teachers across camps as well as through community engagement about gender equity initiatives in education. International instructors identify both value and hesitation in navigating the quantity and content of these communications, such as learning more about refugee teachers' daily lives in the camps and concern about following and managing the amount of communication that can ensue over chat groups. Our work has practical implications for transnational teacher training programs in refugee camps, illuminates how mobile technology and chat groups allow women and men in the community to engage and support girls' education, and questions how text messaging affects the lived and day-to-day experiences of women refugee teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines diaspora's engagement in education development work in their fragile and conflict-affected countries of origin. Through analysis of 28 in-depth interviews with diaspora from four countries, we discuss diasporas' motivations to engage, activities of engagement, and factors that enable or constrain it. Our research highlights that diasporas' education development work seeks to transform conflict dynamics by attending to historical drivers of conflict. We found that diaspora were motivated to engage in education development by a sense of responsibility for communities, known and imagined, including a responsibility to act on the belief that education could transform fragility and conflict. Diaspora enacted their sense of responsibility through resources and rights they accessed through their insider/outsider status in two settings. In focusing on relationships with communities and authorities, diaspora reimagined where power lies in education development work, with implications for governments, development organizations, and diaspora working to transform conflict dynamics through education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For ground‐nesting waterfowl, the timing of egg hatch and duckling departure from the nest may be influenced by the risk of predation at the nest and en route to wetlands and constrained by the time required for ducklings to imprint on the hen and be physically able to leave the nest. We determined the timing of hatch, nest departure, and predation on dabbling duck broods using small video cameras placed at the nests of mallard (Anas platyrhynchos; n = 26), gadwall (Mareca strepera; n = 24), and cinnamon teal (Anas cyanoptera; n = 5). Mallard eggs began to hatch throughout the day and night, whereas gadwall eggs generally started to hatch during daylight hours (mean 7.5 hr after dawn). Among all species, duckling departure from the nest occurred during daylight (98%), and 53% of hens typically left the nest with their broods 1–4 hr after dawn. For mallard and gadwall, we identified three strategies for the timing of nest departure: (a) 9% of broods left the nest the same day that eggs began to hatch (6–12 hr later), (b) 81% of broods left the nest the day after eggs began to hatch, and (c) 10% of broods waited 2 days to depart the nest after eggs began to hatch, leaving the nest just after the second dawn (27–42 hr later). Overall, eggs were depredated at 10% of nests with cameras in the 2 days prior to hatch and ducklings were depredated at 15% of nests with cameras before leaving the nest. Our results suggest that broods prefer to depart the nest early in the morning, which may best balance developmental constraints with predation risk both at the nest and en route to wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the impact of global policy shifts toward 'national integration' on schooling for refugee youth in Kenya. Based on interviews and classroom observations in Kakuma Refugee Camp, we theorize that integration manifests in a multidirectional, hierarchical manner as few refugees integrate "up" into government schools, while most integrate "down" into segregated camp schools. We examine how youth interpret and navigate these oppositional paths, imbued with assumptions about quality and status. We argue that global policy can foster structures for physical integration; however, social integration, integrally connected to protection and opportunity, depends on local strategies and practices, encompassing formal decisions about adapting policy, as well as embedded beliefs about the purposes of educating refugees and their long-term inclusion in host societies. This study responds to calls for deeper sociological attention to education and global migration, as states expand educational opportunities for refugee populations while negotiating educational rights amongst citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Among critically ill patients, the benefits of nutrition support may vary depending on severity of organ dysfunction. The objective of the current article was to explore the relationship between organ failure and calories exposure with hospital mortality during the first week of acute respiratory distress syndrome.Design: Retrospective observational study.Setting: Single-center ICU.Patients: Adults admitted to the ICU with a diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome.Interventions: Calorie delivery from enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition, propofol, and dextrose containing fluids were collected for 7 days following intubation. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score was calculated at ICU admit and for the same 7 days to describe organ dysfunction; four different Sequential Organ Failure Assessment variables were created 1) Sequential Organ Failure Assessment at ICU admit, 2) average Sequential Organ Failure Assessment for the first 7 days following intubation, 3) the highest Sequential Organ Failure Assessment for the first 7 days following intubation, and 4) change in Sequential Organ Failure Assessment from intubation to 7 days later.Measurements and Main Results: A total of 298 patients were included. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment at ICU admit, average Sequential Organ Failure Assessment for the first 7 days following intubation, highest Sequential Organ Failure Assessment for the first 7 days following intubation, change in Sequential Organ Failure Assessment from intubation to 7 days later, and calorie delivery the first 7 days following intubation were all associated with increased likelihood of mortality. Compared with patients with low organ failure and low-calorie delivery, those with high-calorie delivery and low organ failure, low-calorie delivery and high organ failure, and the combination of both high organ failure with high-calorie delivery were associated with an incremental increase in the likelihood or mortality.Conclusions: Organ failure appears to modify the relationship between calorie exposure and ICU outcome. Additional research is needed to identify appropriate thresholds for safe calorie exposure with increased organ failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By ages 15-16, a subset of adolescents report problem drinking and engagement in maladaptive coping behaviors, both of which presage future alcohol use disorders. This paper reports on a test of whether these behaviors can be predicted by characteristics of those youth at ages 10-11. In a sample of 1889 adolescents measured in the spring of 5th, 6th, and 10th grade, we found that early pubertal onset, 5th grade drinking behavior, negative affect, low conscientiousness, and urgency all predicted adolescent problem drinking and dysfunctional coping five years later. Reciprocal mediation pathways between 5th and 6th grade drinker status and urgency levels (the disposition to act rashly when highly emotional) predicted 10th grade problem drinking. Fifth grade drinker status positively predicted 10th grade emotion-oriented coping and negatively predicted 10th grade task-oriented coping, and these effects appear to have been mediated by 6th grade urgency. Mid-adolescent drinking problems and maladaptive coping may be influenced by transactions among multiple factors. Implications for intervention are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limitations on membership and participation in host societies sharply constrain refugee young people's civic development. Especially when refugees attend national schools, they find themselves submerged in civic learning that does not include them or represent their experiences and realities. To explore possibilities for civic learning among refugees, we examine the education created by a Syrian community inside the structures of a Lebanese private school in Beirut. We conceive of this school as a 'borderlands' and find that it supports civic membership and participation in three ways: through adaptations to the Lebanese structures, curricula, and languages of schooling; through pedagogies focused on pragmatism; and through opening limited spaces for students to practice civic skills. We argue that the borderlands space created by this school holds lessons for both refugee and national teachers and school systems seeking to foster civic learning among refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High‐intensity drinking (HID) is associated with negative consequences, but it remains unclear whether a time qualifier (i.e., time spent drinking) is needed to identify individuals at highest risk. To improve the measurement and conceptualization of HID, we examined the utility of adding a time qualifier to define what constitutes an occasion of HID using repeated daily surveys in a sample of young adults. Methods: Participants were selected from a nationally representative sample of 12th‐grade students in the United States who participated in the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study in Spring 2018. In 2019 and 2020, young adults (at modal ages 19–20) responded to annual and daily (14 consecutive days per year) online surveys about their alcohol use. Results: When we compared moderate drinking days (less than 4/5 drinks for women/men), binge drinking days (4–7/5–9 drinks), and HID days (8+/10+ drinks), HID days had the longest duration of drinking (5.2 h), highest peak estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC, 0.30%), and greatest drinking pace (2.58 drinks/h). HID was associated with a greater number of negative consequences than either moderate or binge drinking; adjusting for time spent drinking did not impact this interpretation. HID was reported on 10.9% of days; when defined as 8/10+ drinks in 4 h or 2 h, HID was reported on 4.8% and 1.0% of days, respectively. Nearly all differences in eBAC and negative consequences persisted across drinking intensity despite the introduction of time constraints. Conclusions: HID days were characterized by both a longer time spent drinking and a more rapid pace of drinking. Adding a time qualifier to the definition of HID would restrict variability by only describing the minority of days and does not improve the distinctions among levels of risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case of an intra-abdominal levonorgestrel 52 mg intrauterine system found three weeks after manual postplacental placement demonstrates the importance of proper insertion technique and ascertainment of fundal placement. Ultrasound guidance can be considered if fundal placement is uncertain. Short interval follow up should be recommended to confirm proper placement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a sample of 1,897 youth studied across the last year of elementary school to the second year of high school, we identified five trajectories of drinking frequency. Three of those (nondrinkers, middle onset, and late onset drinkers) were not drinking in elementary school; two others (moderate drinkers and early high drinkers) were. Among originally nondrinking groups, multiple impulsigenic traits and the acquired preparedness risk model predicted membership in groups that subsequently began drinking. Membership in trajectory groups characterized by drinking during this age period was associated with (a) the experience of alcohol-related problems and (b) further increases in both impulsigenic traits and alcohol expectancies. Youth vary considerably in the development of drinking behavior across the transitions from elementary to high school. Harms associated with early drinking involve both problems from drinking and increases in high-risk personality traits. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the types of family-school relationships that promote academic, socio-economic, and social and emotional well-being of black African immigrant children in the United States. The data are ethnographic, drawing on one year of participant observation and interviews at two elementary schools. The findings are also set within the context of an analysis of data from the New Immigrant Survey. The article identifies mechanisms by which relationships between black African immigrants and schools are created and argues that intersections between demographics and school culture are central, particularly as related to the possibilities for relational power, which can allow parents and school staff to transcend persistent inequalities of race and discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the ways in which education policy and practice in Botswana negotiate tensions between assimilationist and multiculturalist approaches to ethnic diversity. We find that the curriculum, as written and as taught, is preoccupied with unity and the avoidance of armed conflict, goals that have perpetuated an assimilationist approach, normed around the culture and language of the Tswana ethnic majority. We argue that a multicultural approach could foster conditions of positive peace, including recognition and equality of opportunity across ethnic groups, which is more urgent today given the sustained absence of armed conflict. We offer strategies for how practitioners and policy makers might move forward in transforming existing multicultural policy discourse into multicultural school practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines nation state policies that have prioritized toleration of diversity over recognition through comparative case studies of three junior secondary schools in Botswana. Through data collected in observations, focus groups, interviews and participatory action research, we demonstrate how the schools, which varied in the ethnic composition of their students, teachers and surrounding communities, responded differently to the reality of their multicultural student bodies. Two followed national policies closely, while the third crafted school-level policies adapted to its student population, yet tightly constricted by national policies and curriculum. In all three schools, students of ethnic minority backgrounds experienced varying degrees of shame, discrimination and a sense of exclusion from the nation and found little recourse to discuss and address these experiences within the structures of their schools. We argue that schools could better develop students’ capacity for equal citizenship were they supported by national education policies and curriculum to recognize the cultural, historical and linguistic diversity of Botswana’s ethnic minorities explicitly in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Approximately 15% more patients taking levothyroxine (LT4) report impaired quality of life compared to controls. This could be explained by additional diagnoses independently affecting quality of life and complicating assignment of causation. This study sought to investigate the underpinnings of reduced quality of life in hypothyroid patients and to provide data for discussion at a symposium addressing hypothyroidism. Methods: An online survey for hypothyroid patients was posted on the American Thyroid Association Web site and forwarded to multiple groups. Respondents were asked to rank satisfaction with their treatment for hypothyroidism and their treating physician. They also ranked their perception regarding physician knowledge about hypothyroidism treatments, need for new treatments, and life impact of hypothyroidism on a scale of 1–10. Respondents reported the therapy they were taking, categorized as LT4, LT4 and liothyronine (LT4 + LT3), or desiccated thyroid extract (DTE). They also reported sex, age, cause of hypothyroidism, duration of treatment, additional diagnoses, and prevalence of symptoms. Results: A total of 12,146 individuals completed the survey. The overall degree of satisfaction was 5 (interquartile range [IQR] = 3–8). Among respondents without self-reported depression, stressors, or medical conditions (n = 3670), individuals taking DTE reported a higher median treatment satisfaction of 7 (IQR = 5–9) compared to other treatments. At the same time, the LT4 treatment group exhibited the lowest satisfaction of 5 (IQR = 3–7), and for the LT4 + LT3 treatment group, satisfaction was 6 (IQR = 3–8). Respondents taking DTE were also less likely to report problems with weight management, fatigue/energy levels, mood, and memory compared to those taking LT4 or LT4 + LT3. Conclusions: A subset of patients with hypothyroidism are not satisfied with their current therapy or their physicians. Higher satisfaction with both treatment and physicians is reported by those patients on DTE. While the study design does not provide a mechanistic explanation for this observation, future studies should investigate whether preference for DTE is related to triiodothyronine levels or other unidentified causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Intraspecific variability in foraging behavior has been documented across a range of taxonomic groups, yet the energetic consequences of this variation are not well understood for many species. Understanding the effect of behavioral variation on energy expenditure and acquisition is particularly crucial for mammalian carnivores because they have high energy requirements that place considerable pressure on prey populations. To determine the influence of behavior on energy expenditure and balance, we combined simultaneous measurements of at‐sea field metabolic rate (FMR) and foraging behavior in a marine carnivore that exhibits intraspecific behavioral variation, the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). Sea lions exhibited variability in at‐sea FMR, with some individuals expending energy at a maximum of twice the rate of others. This variation was in part attributable to differences in diving behavior that may have been reflective of diet; however, this was only true for sea lions using a foraging strategy consisting of epipelagic (<200 m within the water column) and benthic dives. In contrast, sea lions that used a deep‐diving foraging strategy all had similar values of at‐sea FMR that were unrelated to diving behavior. Energy intake did not differ between foraging strategies and was unrelated to energy expenditure. Our findings suggest that energy expenditure in California sea lions may be influenced by interactions between diet and oxygen conservation strategies. There were no apparent energetic trade‐offs between foraging strategies, although there was preliminary evidence that foraging strategies may differ in their variability in energy balance. The energetic consequences of behavioral variation may influence the reproductive success of female sea lions and result in differential impacts of individuals on prey populations. These findings highlight the importance of quantifying the relationships between energy expenditure and foraging behavior in other carnivores for studies addressing fundamental and applied physiological and ecological questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predators sample the available prey community when foraging; thus, changes in the environment may be reflected by changes in predator diet and foraging preferences. We examined Forster’s tern (Sterna forsteri) prey species over an 11-year period by sampling approximately 10,000 prey fish returned to 17 breeding colonies in south San Francisco Bay, California. We compared the species composition among repeatedly-sampled colonies (≥ 4 years), using both relative species abundance and the composition of total dry mass by species. Overall, the relative abundances of prey species at seven repeatedly-sampled tern colonies were more different than would be expected by chance, with the most notable differences in relative abundance observed between geographically distant colonies. In general, Mississippi silverside (Menidia audens) and topsmelt silverside (Atherinops affinis) comprised 42% of individuals and 40% of dry fish mass over the study period. Three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) comprised the next largest proportion of prey species by individuals (19%) but not by dry mass (6%). Five additional species each contributed ≥ 4% of total individuals collected over the study period: yellowfin goby (Acanthogobius flavimanus; 10%), longjaw mudsucker (Gillichthys mirabilis; 8%), Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii; 6%), northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax; 4%), and staghorn sculpin (Leptocottus armatus; 4%). At some colonies, the relative abundance and biomass of specific prey species changed over time. In general, the abundance and dry mass of silversides increased, whereas the abundance and dry mass of three-spined stickleback and longjaw mudsucker decreased. As central place foragers, Forster’s terns are limited in the distance they forage; thus, changes in the prey species returned to Forster’s tern colonies suggest that the relative availability of some fish species in the environment has changed, possibly in response to alteration of the available habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large fluctuations in animal body mass in relation to life-history events can influence contaminant concentrations and toxicological risk. We quantified mercury concentrations in adult northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) before and after lengthy at sea foraging trips (n ¼ 89) or fasting periods on land (n ¼ 27), and showed that mercury concentrations in blood and muscle changed in response to these events. The highest blood mercury concentrations were observed after the breeding fast, whereas the highest muscle mercury concentrations were observed when seals returned to land to moult. Mean female blood mercury concentrations decreased by 30% across each of the two annual foraging trips, demonstrating a foraging- associated dilution of mercury concentrations as seals gained mass. Blood mercury concentrations increased by 103% and 24% across the breeding and moulting fasts, respectively, demonstrating a fasting-associated concentration of mercury as seals lost mass. In contrast to blood, mercury concentrations in female's muscle increased by 19% during the post-breeding foraging trip and did not change during the post-moulting foraging trip. While fasting, female muscle mercury concentrations increased 26% during breeding, but decreased 14% during moulting. Consequently, regardless of exposure, an animal's contaminant concentration can be markedly influenced by their annual life-history events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims Among US high school students, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking are associated with numerous concurrent and future harms. We tested whether multiple elementary school personality dispositions to behave impulsively can predict these addictive behaviors invariably across gender and race. Design and Setting This longitudinal design involved testing whether individual differences on impulsigenic traits in elementary school predicted drinking and smoking 4 years later in high school in 23 public schools in Kentucky, USA. Participants A total of 1897 youth, mean age 10.33 at wave 1, drawn from urban, rural and suburban backgrounds. Measurements Drinking and smoking frequency were assessed by single-item questions. The key predictors were impulsigenic traits measured with the UPPS-P Child Version impulsive behavior scale. Important covariates included were pubertal status, depression, negative affect and positive affect; each was assessed by self-report. Findings Three personality traits measured in 5th grade, each representing different dispositions to engage in impulsive behavior, predicted drinking and smoking in 9th grade above and beyond other risk factors and 5th grade drinking and smoking. Specifically, urgency ( b = 0.10, 0.13), sensation-seeking ( b = 0.13, 0.07) and low conscientiousness ( b = 0.14, 0.11) each uniquely predicted both high school drinking and smoking, respectively. There was no evidence that any trait predicted either outcome more strongly than the other traits, nor was there evidence that predictive results varied by gender or race. Conclusions Three personality traits (urgency, sensation-seeking and low conscientiousness), when measured in 11-year-old children, predict those children's drinking and smoking behavior individually at age 15. The effects are invariant across gender and race. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how resettled refugees’ aspirations cultivated through education collide with postschooling realities. We find that post-graduation barriers of financial insecurity, housing insecurity, violence and discrimination, and lack of critical awareness of unequal opportunity structures stand in the way of resettlement aspirations. We discuss how teachers and schools might be retooled to equip refugee students with more and different skills to navigate post-graduation situations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Eggshells are a potential tool for nonlethally sampling contaminant concentrations in bird eggs, yet few studies have examined their utility to represent mercury exposure. We assessed mercury concentrations in eggshell components for 23 bird species and determined whether they correlated with total mercury (THg) in egg contents. We designed a multi-experiment analysis to examine how THg is partitioned into eggshell components, specifically hardened eggshells, material adhered to the eggshells, and inner eggshell membranes. The THg concentrations in eggshells were much lower than in egg contents, and almost all of the THg within the eggshell was contained within material adhered to eggshells and inner eggshell membranes, and specifically not within calcium-rich hardened eggshells. Despite very little mercury in hardened eggshells, THg concentrations in hardened eggshells had the strongest correlation with egg contents among all eggshell components. However, species with the same THg concentrations in eggshells had different THg concentrations in egg contents, indicating that there is no global predictive equation among species for the relationship between eggshell and egg content THg concentrations. Furthermore, for all species, THg concentrations in eggshells decreased with relative embryo age. Although the majority of mercury in eggshells was contained within other eggshell components and not within hardened eggshells, THg in hardened eggshells can be used to estimate THg concentrations in egg contents, if embryo age and species are addressed. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2417-2427. Published 2017 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore the role of online social networks in the cultivation of pathways to higher education for refugees, particularly for women. We compare supports garnered in local and offline settings to those accrued through online social networks and examine the differences between women and men. The paper draws on complementary original data sources, including an online survey of the Somali Diaspora (n = 248) and in-depth interviews (n = 21) with Somali refugees who do or have lived in the Dadaab refugee camps of Kenya. We find an important interplay of local and global interactions, mediated by mobile technology, that participants identify as critical to their access to higher education. Our analysis relates these interactions to shifting social norms and possibilities for refugee women’s education. Our findings directly address the use of information and communication technology in expanding opportunities for higher education for women in refugee camps. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Environmental contaminants are a concern for animal health, but contaminant exposure can also be used as a tracer of foraging ecology. In particular, mercury (Hg) concentrations are highly variable among aquatic and terrestrial food webs as a result of habitat- and site-specific biogeochemical processes that produce the bioaccumulative form, methylmercury (MeHg). We used stable isotopes and total Hg (THg) concentrations of a generalist consumer, the California gull ( Larus californicus ), to examine foraging ecology and illustrate the utility of using Hg contamination as an ecological tracer under certain conditions. We identified four main foraging clusters of gulls during pre-breeding and breeding, using a traditional approach based on light stable isotopes. The foraging cluster with the highest δ 15 N and δ 34 S values in gulls (cluster 4) had mean blood THg concentrations 614% (pre-breeding) and 250% (breeding) higher than gulls with the lowest isotope values (cluster 1). Using a traditional approach of stable-isotope mixing models, we showed that breeding birds with a higher proportion of garbage in their diet (cluster 2: 63–82% garbage) corresponded to lower THg concentrations and lower δ 15 N and δ 34 S values. In contrast, gull clusters with higher THg concentrations, which were more enriched in 15 N and 34 S isotopes, consumed a higher proportion of more natural, estuarine prey. δ 34 S values, which change markedly across the terrestrial to marine habitat gradient, were positively correlated with blood THg concentrations in gulls. The linkage we observed between stable isotopes and THg concentrations suggests that Hg contamination can be used as an additional tool for understanding animal foraging across coastal habitat gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research on self-forgiveness is mixed. Some argue self-forgiveness may have a salutary influence on mental health problems following an offense, whereas others suggest it may provide an excuse to reoffend. In two studies, we provide correlational and experimental evidence for the salutary effects of self-forgiveness following an offense. In Study 1 (N = 100), self-forgiveness was associated with lower levels of disordered eating behavior. In Study 2 (N = 462), participants recalled a drinking-related transgression, and were randomly assigned to a self-forgiveness or neutral priming condition. Results revealed that participants in the self-forgiveness condition reported significantly more self-forgiving beliefs and fewer feelings of remorse and self-condemnation than participants in the neutral priming condition to the degree that participants believed their drinking was the cause of the offense. These findings highlight the salutary effects of self-forgiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how education can disrupt threats of conflict, specifically in the presence of ethnic diversity. We present a historical analysis of Botswana, using methods of process tracing drawing on documents, in-depth interviews, and Afrobarometer survey data. Postindependence Botswana engaged in redistribution of educational access across ethnic groups and promotion of common civic principles of social harmony. At the same time, it constructed through schools ethnically based national identity, which excluded many minorities. Lack of recognition for ethnic minorities remains a persistent challenge, yet it exists in a context of high commitment to unity and the nation-state, even among minority groups, which may have allowed recent dissent to happen peacefully. The article defines mechanisms by which educational redistribution and recognition can disrupt resource-based and identity-based inequalities that often lead to conflict. This model holds promise for conflict avoidance and mitigation in multiethnic states globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]