Sense of Belonging of Students of Color Participating in Living Learning Communities: A Phenomenological Study

While the national graduation rate has increased over the past ten years, Students of Color graduate at a much lower rate than their white counterparts (National Center for Education Statistics, 2021). Scholars boast that high-impact practices promote positive outcomes such as increased retention and graduation rates as well as student learning and sense of belonging, but little research has examined the extent to which high-impact practices benefit specific groups of students (Kuh, 2008; McDaniel & Van Jura, 2020; Tukibayeva & Gonyea, 2014). Students of Color still graduate at a much lower rate than white students despite the rise of high-impact practices, which raises the question, are these high-impact practices working for all students? Living learning communities are one high-impact practice with substantial evidence of increasing college completion and sense of belonging for all students. While there have been separate studies on the impact of living learning communities and the sense of belonging of Students of Color, few scholars have conducted research on how Students of Color participating in living learning communities perceive their experience and sense of belonging. By understanding how Students of Color experience living learning communities and how they perceive their sense of belonging, institutions may be one step closer to increasing their graduate and retention rates. The purpose of this study was to gain insight on the sense of belonging and experiences of Students of Color participating in living learning communities at a large, predominately white research university. This study employed a qualitative phenomenological approach using two sets of interviews with nine participants to collect data on their life history, day-to-day experiences, and reflection on those experiences. Strayhorn’s (2018) model of college students’ sense of belonging served as a theoretical framework throughout the study. Through data analysis, four themes emerged when exploring how Students of Color described their LLC experience and sense of belonging: shared identities & similar values, shared experiences & collective struggles, impactful connections & meaningful relationships, and a home away from home. Practical implications for practitioners and suggestions for future research are provided

Exploring the Relationship Between Self-Reported Religiosity and Alcohol Usage Among Undergraduate Students

Alcohol usage is one of the greatest high-risk behaviors that institutions face today. In this study, 166 undergraduates were surveyed to explore the relationship between their religiosity and alcohol usage. The data revealed that religious students drink less than unsure or spiritual students, supporting the Social Identity Theory, which suggests that a group a student most identifies with influences them the greatest. The study also suggests that we should seek to understand this relationship, which can lead to a better understanding of why students use alcohol, and therefore, a step closer to helping them succeed where it matters most

Indulging Our Gendered Selves? Sex Segregation by Field of Study in 44 Countries

Data from 44 societies are used to explore sex segregation by field of study. Contrary to accounts linking socioeconomic modernization to a degendering of public-sphere institutions, sex typing of curricular fields is stronger in more economically developed contexts. The authors argue that two cultural forces combine in advanced industrial societies to create a new sort of sex segregation regime. The first is gender-essentialist ideology, which has proven to be extremely resilient even in the most liberal-egalitarian of contexts; the second is self-expressive value systems, which create opportunities and incentives for the expression of gendered selves. Multivariate analyses suggest that structural features of postindustrial labor markets and modern educational systems support the cultivation, realization, and display of gender-specific curricular affinities

Co-Founding a Queer Archives: a collaboration between an archivist and a professor

This article details the creation and development of the Oregon State University Queer Archives (OSQA) as the product of collaboration between an archivist and professor. The authors provide an overview of the history of OSQA, including theoretical foundations of queer archival methods; discuss community-based initiatives that have helped to build the archive; and share lessons learned through their collaboration. They conclude by offering recommendations for others who are considering collaborations between archivists and professors on Queer Archives initiatives as well as other community-based archives in higher education settings

Pediatric ulcerative colitis: current treatment approaches including role of infliximab

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that can lead to derangements in the growth, nutritional status, and psychosocial development of affected children. There are several medical options for the induction and maintenance of disease remission, but the benefits of these medications need to be carefully weighed against the risks, especially in the pediatric population. As the etiology of the disease has become increasingly understood, newer therapeutic alternatives have arisen in the form of biologic therapies, which are monoclonal antibodies targeted to a specific protein or receptor. This review will discuss the classical treatments for children with ulcerative colitis, including 5-aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, thiopurine immunomodulators, and calcineurin inhibitors, with a particular focus on the newer class of anti-tumor necrosis factor-α agents

170 GBit/s transmission in an erbium-doped waveguide amplifier on silicon

Signal transmission experiments were performed at 170 Gbit/s in an integrated $Al_2O_3:Er^{3+}$ waveguide amplifier to investigate its potential application in high-speed photonic integrated circuits. Net internal gain of up to 11 dB was measured for a continuous-wave 1532 nm signal under 1480 nm pumping, with a threshold pump power of 4 mW. A differential group delay of 2 ps between the TE and TM fundamental modes of the 5.7-cm-long amplifier was measured. When selecting a single polarization open eye diagrams and bit error rates equal to those of the transmission system without the amplifier were observed for a 1550 nm signal encoded with a 170 Gbit/s return-to-zero pseudo-random $2^{7}-1$ bit sequence

3D phase-matching conditions for the generation of entangled triplets by chi(2) interlinked interactions

An analytical calculation of the interaction geometry of two interlinked second-order nonlinear processes fulfilling phase-matching conditions is presented. The method is developed for type-I uniaxial crystals and gives the positions on a screen beyond the crystal of the entangled triplets generated by the interactions. The analytical results are compared to experiments realized in the macroscopic regime. Preliminary tests to identify the triplets are also performed based on intensity correlations.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 1 movie (extension of fig. 2

Litter Controls Earthworm-Mediated Carbon and Nitrogen Transformations in Soil from Temperate Riparian Buffers

Nutrient cycling in riparian buffers is partly influenced by decomposition of crop, grass, and native tree species litter. Nonnative earthworms in riparian soils in southern Quebec are expected to speed the processes of litter decomposition and nitrogen (N) mineralization, increasing carbon (C) and N losses in gaseous forms or via leachate. A 5-month microcosm experiment evaluated the effect of Aporrectodea turgida on the decomposition of 3 litter types (deciduous leaves, reed canarygrass, and soybean stem residue). Earthworms increased CO2 and N2O losses from microcosms with soybean residue, by 112% and 670%, respectively, but reduced CO2 and N2O fluxes from microcosms with reed canarygrass by 120% and 220%, respectively. Litter type controlled the CO2 flux (soybean ≥ deciduous-mix litter = reed canarygrass > no litter) and the N2O flux (soybean ≥ no litter ≥ reed canarygrass > deciduous-mix litter). However, in the presence of earthworms, there was a slight increase in C and N gaseous losses of C and N relative to their losses via leachate, across litter treatments. We conclude that litter type determines the earthworm-mediated decomposition effect, highlighting the importance of vegetation management in controlling C and N losses from riparian buffers to the environment

Trypanosoma brucei brucei invasion and T-cell infiltration of the brain parenchyma in experimental sleeping sickness: timing and correlation with functional changes

Background: The timing of Trypanosoma brucei entry into the brain parenchyma to initiate the second, meningoencephalitic stage of human African trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness is currently debated and even parasite invasion of the neuropil has been recently questioned. Furthermore, the relationship between neurological features and disease stage are unclear, despite the important diagnostic and therapeutic implications. Methodology: Using a rat model of chronic Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection we determined the timing of parasite and T-cell neuropil infiltration and its correlation with functional changes. Parasite DNA was detected using trypanosome-specific PCR. Body weight and sleep structure alterations represented by sleep-onset rapid eye movement (SOREM) periods, reported in human and experimental African trypanosomiasis, were monitored. The presence of parasites, as well as CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in the neuropil was assessed over time in the brain of the same animals by immunocytochemistry and quantitative analyses. Principal findings: Trypanosome DNA was present in the brain at day 6 post-infection and increased more than 15-fold by day 21. Parasites and T-cells were observed in the parenchyma from day 9 onwards. Parasites traversing blood vessel walls were observed in the hypothalamus and other brain regions. Body weight gain was reduced from day 7 onwards. SOREM episodes started in most cases early after infection, with an increase in number and duration after parasite neuroinvasion. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate invasion of the neuropil over time, after an initial interval, by parasites and lymphocytes crossing the blood-brain barrier, and show that neurological features can precede this event. The data thus challenge the current clinical and cerebrospinal fluid criteria of disease staging