Gender peer effects in university: Evidence from a randomized experiment

Recent studies for primary and secondary education find positive effects of the share of girls in the classroom on achievement of boys and girls. This study examines whether these results can be extrapolated to post-secondary education. We conduct an experiment in which the shares of girls in workgroups for first year students in economics and business are manipulated and students are randomly assigned to these groups. Boys tend to postpone their dropout decision when surrounded by more girls, and there is also a modest reduction in early absenteeism. On the other hand, boys perform worse on courses with high math content when assigned to a group with many girls. Overall, however, we fail to find substantial gender peer effects on achievement. This in spite of the fact that students in groups with many girls help each other more often and study together more often.Field experiment, Peer effects, University students

Gender peer effects in university: Evidence from a randomized experiment

Recent studies for primary and secondary education find positive effects of the share of girls in the classroom on achievement of boys and girls. This study examines whether these results can be extrapolated to post-secondary education. We conduct an experiment in which the shares of girls in workgroups for first year students in economics and business are manipulated and students are randomly assigned to these groups. Boys tend to postpone their dropout decision when surrounded by more girls, and there is also a modest reduction in early absenteeism. On the other hand, boys perform worse on courses with high math content when assigned to a group with many girls. Overall, however, we fail to find substantial gender peer effects on achievement. This in spite of the fact that students' perceptions of the behavior of themselves and their peers are influenced by the share of girls

Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics in child and youth mental health; comparison of routine outcome measurements of an Australian and Dutch outpatient cohort

Routine outcome measurement (ROM) data offer unique opportunities to study treatment outcomes in clinical practice, and can help to assess the real-world impact of mental health services for children and adolescents (youth). This is illustrated by studies using naturalistic data from specialist child and adolescent mental healthcare services (CAMHS), showing the proportion of patients with reliable improvement, recovery or deterioration (Burgess et al., 2015; Wolpert et al., 2016), and revealing specific subgroups of patients with greater risk of poor outcome (Garralda et al., 2000; Lundh et al., 2013; Murphy et al., 2015; Edbrooke-Childs et al., 2017). Naturalistic data are therefore undeniably necessary in addition to data derived from randomised clinical trials, which often have limited generalisability due to strict selection criteria (Rothwell, 2005; Van Noorden et al., 2014).New methods for child psychiatric diagnosis and treatment outcome evaluatio

Mice lacking the MHC class II transactivator (CIITA) show tissue-specific impairment of MHC class II expression

CIITA activates the expression of multiple genes involved in antigen presentation and it is believed to be required for both constitutive and IFN\xce\xb3-inducible expression of these genes. To understand the role of CIITA in vivo, we have used gene targeting to generate mice that lack CIITA. CIITA-deficient (-/-) mice do not express conventional MHC class II molecules on the surface of splenic B cells and dendritic cells. In addition, macrophages resident in the peritoneal cavity do not express MHC class II molecules upon IFN\xce\xb3 stimulation nor do somatic tissues of mice injected with IFN\xce\xb3, in contrast with wild-type mice. The levels of li and H-2M gene transcripts are substantially decreased but not absent in CIITA (-/-) mice. The transcription of nonconventional MHC class II genes is, however, not affected by CIITA deficiency. A subset of thymic epithelial cells express MHC class II molecules. Nonetheless, very few mature CD4 T cells are present in the periphery of CIITA (-/-) mice despite MHC class II expression in the thymus. Consequently, CIITA (-/-) mice are impaired in T-dependent antigen responses and MHC class II-mediated allogeneic reponses

Overcoming the Metaphysics of Consciousness: Being/Artaud

Some recent theories of the mind have invoked the theatre as a metaphor to explain consciousness. This paper suggests that there is something irreducible to consciousness and that theatre can be an invaluable tool for exploring such subject matter. Rather than explain the mind through theory, performance practices can use immediate experience to investigate consciousness. Of course, Antonin Artaud’s ‘Theatre of Cruelty’ articulates the hope of apprehending consciousness through immediate experience, overcoming ‘literature’ and the alienating ossification of language. For Artaud, the ‘self’ has always been stolen at birth yet he suggests it can be returned through the theatre. The Theatre of Cruelty is an overcoming of the metaphysical obstructions of ‘being’. Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time also seeks to reveal the concept of 'Being' by destroying the historical misunderstanding of the term. Heidegger' claims that 'Dasein' (Being-there), the human subject, is maintained by a radical continuity with the world in which it exists. Because human subjects are 'absorbed' in the world of practical activity, projects and tasks, they tend to misrecognise themselves as a ‘thing’. But consciousness is not a ‘thing’ like other entities in the world. Such misrecognition is the fundamental error in what Heidegger calls metaphysics. My contention is that the Theatre of Cruelty is Artaud’s attempt at articulating a practical investigation of consciousness, resisting the metaphysical structures of language and logic and calling for the priority of ‘experience’. Cruelty is a return of the pre-theoretical, unspeakable words needed to explore the Being of consciousness. Such is an attempt to overcome the metaphysics of consciousness onstage.The conference was sponsored by A.D.S.A., the Department of Performance Studies, the School of Letters, Arts and Media, and the Faculty of Arts of the University of Sydney

Patient experiences: a systematic review of quality improvement interventions in a hospital setting

Purpose: In the era of value-based healthcare, one strives for the most optimal outcomes and experiences from the perspective of the patient. So, patient experiences have become a key quality indicator for healthcare. While these are supposed to drive quality improvement (QI), their use and effectiveness for this purpose has been questioned. The aim of this systematic review was to provide insight into QI interventions used in a hospital setting and their effects on improving patient experiences, and possible barriers and promoters for QI work. Methods: Prisma guidelines were used to design this review. International academic literature was searched in Embase, Medline OvidSP, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, PubMed Publisher, Scopus, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar. In total, 3,289 studies were retrieved and independently screened by the first two authors for eligibility and methodological quality. Data was extracted on the study purpose, setting, design, targeted patient experience domains, QI strategies, results of QI, barriers, and promotors for QI. Results: Twenty-one pre–post intervention studies were included for review. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using a Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) Tool. QI strategies used were staff education, patient education, audit and feedback, clinician reminders, organizational change, an

The Value of Early Tumor Size Response to Chemotherapy in Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in childhood. Results of clinical trials, with three-year event-free and overall survival as primary outcomes, often take 7 to 10 years. Identification of an early surrogate biomarker, predictive for survival, is therefore crucial. We conducted a systematic review to define the prognostic value of early tumor size response in children with IRSG group III rhabdomyosarcoma. The search included MEDLINE/EMBASE from inception to 18 November 2020. In total, six studies were included, describing 2010 patients, and assessed by the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) instrument. Four studies found no prognostic value for tumor size response, whereas two studies reported a prognostic effect. In these two studies, the survival rate of patients with progressive disease was not separately analyzed from patients with stable disease, potentially explaining the difference in study outcome. In conclusion, our findings support that early progression of disease is associated with poorer survival, justifying adaptation of therapy. However, in patients with non-progressive disease, there is no evidence that the degree of response is a prognostic marker for survival. Because the vast majority of patients do not have progressive disease, early tumor size response should be reconsidered for assessment of treatment efficacy. Therefore, at present, early surrogate biomarkers for survival are still lacking

High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous haematopoietic cell transplantation for children, adolescents, and young adults with first recurrence of Ewing sarcoma

BACKGROUND Ewing sarcoma is a solid tumour, which is the second most common primary bone malignancy in children, often occurring in the long bones and pelvis. An incidence rate of 4.5 per million a year is reported, with a peak incidence of 11 per million at the age of 12 years. Despite more intensive chemotherapy, 30% to 40% of young people with Ewing sarcoma will have recurrence of the disease. Less than 30% of young people with a recurrence of Ewing sarcoma are alive at 24 months, and less than 10% are alive at 48 months. High-dose chemotherapy (HDC), followed by autologous haematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT), is used in a variety of paediatric groups with diverse solid tumours. The hypothesis is that HDC regimens may overcome resistance to standard polychemotherapy, and this way may eradicate minimal residual disease, leading to improved survival after a first recurrence of disease. OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy of HDC with AHCT versus conventional chemotherapy in improving event-free survival, overall survival, quality-adjusted survival, and progression-free survival in children, adolescents, and young adults with first recurrence of Ewing sarcoma, and to determine the toxicity of the treatment. SEARCH METHODS We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, conference proceedings from the SIOP, ASPHO, CTOS, ASBMT, EBMT, and EMSOS, and two trial registries in January 2020. We also searched reference lists of relevant articles and review articles. SELECTION CRITERIA We planned to include randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or (historical) controlled clinical trials (CCTs) comparing the effectiveness of HDC plus AHCT with conventional chemotherapy for children, adolescents, and young adults (up to 30 years old at the date of diagnostic biopsy) with a first recurrence of Ewing sarcoma. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. MAIN RESULTS We did not identify any eligible studies. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Since we did not identify any eligible studies, we are unable to draw any conclusions about the efficacy and toxicity of HDC with AHCT versus conventional chemotherapy in children, adolescents, and young adults with a first recurrence of Ewing sarcoma. Further high-quality research is urgently needed