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With recent advances in high-resolution satellite imagery and machine vision algorithms, fine-grain geospatial data on population are now widely available: kilometer-by-kilometer, worldwide. In this paper, we showcase how researchers and policymakers in developing countries can leverage these novel data to precisely identify "education deserts" -- localized areas where families lack physical access to education -- at unprecedented scale, detail, and cost-effectiveness. We demonstrate how these analyses could valuably inform educational access initiatives like school construction and transportation investments, and outline a variety of analytic extensions to gain deeper insight into the state of school access across a given country. We conduct a proof-of-concept analysis in the context of Guatemala, which has historically struggled with educational access, as a demonstration of the utility, viability, and flexibility of our proposed approach. We find that the vast majority of Guatemalan population lives within 3 km of a public primary school, indicating a generally low incidence of distance as a barrier to education in that context. However, we still identify concentrated pockets of population for whom the distance to school remains prohibitive, revealing important geographic variation within the strong country-wide average. Finally, we show how even a small number of optimally-placed schools in these areas, using a simple algorithm we develop, could substantially reduce the incidence of education deserts in this context. We make our entire codebase available to the public -- fully free, open-source, heavily documented, and designed for broad use -- allowing analysts across contexts to easily replicate our proposed analyses for other countries, educational levels, and public goods more generally.

SILENCE IS MEANINGFUL MATTER that is universally used as a method of communicating in all human cultures, although each society and epoch has established its own specific uses and meanings [...]

Access to quality secondary schooling can be life changing for students in developing contexts. In Kenya, entrance to such schools was historically determined by performance on a high-stakes exam. Understandably then, preparation for this exam is a priority for families and educators. To increase the share of students entering these schools, some educational providers offer targeted instruction for students they believe have a chance of securing a spot. We use a randomized control trial to evaluate the impact of these "symposia" programs--week-long, sleep-away camps where eighth-grade students receive a burst of academic instruction from teachers who are selected based on merit. While similar models have been tested in the United States, less is known about this type of intervention in developing settings. We find these programs were not particularly effective for the average nominated student relative to a typical week of school. However, we find large, positive effects among students attending schools from which few students are nominated for symposia. We provide suggestive evidence that this was because students from low-representation schools had fewer pre-camp practice test resources outside of school. The results have implications for program design and the growing literature on the effectiveness of appropriately targeted individualized instruction.

Phasins are proteins located on the surface of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (P3HB) granules that affect the metabolism of the polymer, the size and number of the granules, and some also have stress-protecting and growth-promoting effects. This study evaluated the effect of inactivating two new phasins (PhbP2 or PhbP3) on the cellular growth, production, and molecular mass of P3HB in cultures under low or high oxygen transfer rates (OTR). The results revealed that under high OTRₘₐₓ conditions (between 8.1 and 8.9 mmol L−1 h−1), the absence of phasins PhbP2 and PhbP3 resulted in a strong negative effect on the growth rate; in contrast, the rates of specific oxygen consumption increased in both cases. This behavior was not observed under a low oxygen transfer rate (3.9 ± 0.71 mol L−1 h−1), where cellular growth and oxygen consumption were the same for the different strains evaluated. It was observed that at high OTR, the absence of PhbP3 affected the production of P3HB, decreasing it by 30% at the end of cultivation. In contrast, the molecular weight remained constant over time. In summary, the absence of phasin PhbP3 significantly impacted the growth rate and polymer synthesis, particularly at high maximum oxygen transfer rates (OTRₘₐₓ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The restrictions of the pandemic forced the idea of an information system that integrated remote public participation in a live television show. The existing mechanisms were then too rigid, of poor audiovisual quality, and had an excessive and unsustainable delay between emission and reception for real-time television interaction. The creation of the Virtual Audience System (VAS) proposed the use of the most recent technology in areas such as cloud and edge computing, lowlatency audio and video transmission, interactive communication in the web environment, and the creation of immersive binaural sound to overcome the limitations of the moment. With these new technological elements, a new system of transmission and reception of audiovisual information was developed that allows the adaptation and scalability of media production to the type of event broadcasted and its audience with a minimum investment and, at the same time, generates a new concept of audience appropriate for the 21st century. The Virtual Audience System enables interactive and synchronized participation in live entertainment shows and, at the same time, allows the creation of remote virtual participants while guaranteeing a real and immersive experience for the user. The WebRTC, RTMP and SRT technology used, which is already popular and has universal compatibility; the low latency achieved, which is below two seconds for the complete cycle; and the immersive sensation of the audience--everything together predicts that this system can soon transform the television production methodology of shows with live audience participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design - We relied on data obtained from in-depth interviews with managers. Data categorization allowed the application of the main constructs of the UTAUT model and the unveiling of the level of acceptance of Cause-Related Marketing (CrM) campaigns by managers and its use as a marketing strategy. Purpose – Most of the research on CrM emphasizes the benefits of these campaigns for charities and donors. The purpose of this study is to decode what managers think about CrM campaigns and try to discern and understand the principal motivations, benefits, and inherent risks to implement these campaigns. Findings - Managers recognize CrM benefits mainly relating them with an increase in reputation and image of the company, making it possible to differentiate and increase its notoriety. However, the social nature of this tool is what weights in the most on the decision of managers, since they recognize that being socially responsible is a competitive factor. The greatest constraints identified have to do with the effort on the implementation of the campaign and with the consumer’s scepticism, especially in transactional campaigns. Originality - With this research we were able to realize that there is a misunderstanding between the CrM concept and purely philanthropic marketing, which can somehow inhibit managers from recognizing the potential of this tool. Regarding CrM use, the position of managers shows a clear concern about the importance of harmonizing values between the company and the cause, betting on long-term campaigns with transparent communication and investing in the process of planning, implementing, and monitoring campaigns to improve their performance. This needs to be taken into account in future assessments of CrM campaigns.

Organizations have worked over the years to develop efficiencies to their supply chains, which includes efforts to reduce waste, lower costs, consolidate suppliers and distributors, better manage costs of goods sold and inventory, develop efficiencies in packaging, storage, and shipping of product, as well as utilizing digital analytics to manage consumer choices and demands. These are all by-products of world-class manufacturing which have promoted systematic organizational and supply chain efficiencies. However, under economic shocks that are sustained over longer periods of time (e.g., Covid-19 Pandemic) and that affect supply chains from a variety of disruptions, a supply chain that is not prepared or adaptable may be broken or at a minimum weigh down the organization. Therefore, the ability to manage and control risk is a key aspect of effective supply chain management. However, the literature on pandemic risk mitigation is nascent. Thus, this paper offers a review of the extant literature, provides a strategic mitigation model covering five dimensions: leadership, preparedness, digitalization, resilience, and pivoting. These dimensions are designed to help organizations in the future to be more adaptive to events such as global pandemics and other large-scale disruptions and discuss implications for future research.

This research focuses on the social-spatial relationship between device and subject and identifies the possibilities that digital technology lets listeners perform as listening modalities, such as individual listening, mobility, and multimedia listening. Analyzing the most relevant specialized literature, this work explores the socio-technological origins of current possibilities of listening to classify them as 'innovative change' or 'substantial improvement'. A sound reproduction device timeline and their contributions determine what the enrichment of the digital era to the act of listening is and what reasonable future trends are to be expected. The digital era does not add any new possibility to the social-spatial act of listening itself. Nevertheless, the digital era has prepared the technological basis for a new leap that would tend toward hyperpersonalization and the maximization of operative easiness. This research shows how digital has made great progress 'inside' devices functioning, but not so much 'outside' them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covid-19 school closures generated interest in tutoring to make up for lost learning time. Tutoring is backed by rigorous research, but it is unclear whether it can be delivered effectively remotely. We study the effect of teacher-student phone calls in Kenya when schools were closed. Schools (n = 105) were randomly assigned for 3rd, 5th and 6th graders (n = 8,319) to receive one of two versions of a 7-week weekly math intervention—5-minute accountability checks or 15-min mini-tutoring sessions—or to the control group. Although calls increased perceptions that teachers cared, accountability checks had no effect on math performance four months later and tutoring decreased achievement among students who returned to their schools after reopening. This was, in part, because the relatively low-achieving students most likely to benefit from calls were least likely to return and take assessments. Tutoring substituted away from more productive uses of time, at least among returners. Neither intervention affected enrollment. Tutoring remains a valuable tool but to avoid unintended consequences, careful attention should be paid to aligning interventions with best practices and targeting to those who benefit most. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to focus on the role of learning activities on the development of Romanian students making the change from academia to the workplace, specifically focusing on the role of three learning activities: classroom teaching pedagogies ("in-vitro"); field experiences ("in-situ"); and self-development experiential activities. Design/methodology/approach: Using a 12-factor scale developed by the authors to measure the role of learning activities on professional identity (PI), 364 students in an English-language BBA program at a prominent Romanian university were surveyed via an online survey service. From this sample 97 valid responses were obtained and these were regressed on a measure of PI to test three main hypotheses. Findings: "In-vitro," "in-situ," and self-development experiential activities exhibited a positive relationship to PI. The two most significant predictors of PI were found to be membership of a professional student group and the use of case studies in class. Practical implications: The findings of the study have practical implications for the business community and business educators, for activities such as curriculum development, course design and delivery. The findings reinforce the need for more practical pedagogies. Originality/value: The paper makes an empirical contribution to the field of PI development in Romanian business students and by extension to students in similar post-Communist countries. To this date there have been no studies that link practical learning activities to the development of PI in a transition society. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)

This study frames the quality transition of Romanian business education embracing the role of students as clients and customers. In the first part of the study, responses from ninety-four fourth-year Romanian students provided a statistically significant gap between the level of importance of business competences and their level of preparation. The second part used content analysis to establish four major improvement themes: (1) new course specification; (2) pedagogical modification using practical applications; (3) course delivery improvement; and (4) university-directed field experiences. The findings support the notion that Romanian students provide reliable and unique assessments of their education. (Contains 2 tables.)