“Regarding Lupe”: A one-act play where two cultures collide on the road to a Latina’s performance appraisal

This article presents an original academic play, “Regarding Lupe,” that explores traditional and emerging Latina cultural values and how cross-cultural differences may affect a performance appraisal process. The dramatic structure of the play, inspired by Crandall and Eshleman’s Justification/Suppression Model of Prejudice (JSM), represents a novel and vivid way to engage students in learning why even an acculturated Latina executive may face stereotypes, prejudice, and unintentional discrimination in performance appraisal at work. Here we share the play and offer theoretical and cross-cultural information to facilitate the debriefing. We hope to contribute not only to the teaching and learning of diversity and discrimination, but also to an appreciation of the innovative pedagogical potential of academic plays

The Demise of Regulation Q Differentials: Competition for Household Savings Between Commercial Banks and Savings and Loan Associates

William S. Rawson is an Assistant Professor of Economics and F. Jerry Ingram is an Assistant Professor of Real Estate at The University of South Carolina

Leadership: Three Approaches to Learning

This paper describes three approaches to teaching leadership at the advanced level for adult learners.  The three approaches address competence or skill building and authenticity or self-development.  Each approach offers a variety of materials to draw from and provides concrete examples of learning activities

SP mountain data analysis

An analysis of synthetic aperture radar data of SP Mountain was undertaken to demonstrate the use of digital image processing techniques to aid in geologic interpretation of SAR data. These data were collected with the ERIM X- and L-band airborne SAR using like- and cross-polarizations. The resulting signal films were used to produce computer compatible tapes, from which four-channel imagery was generated. Slant range-to-ground range and range-azimuth-scale corrections were made in order to facilitate image registration; intensity corrections were also made. Manual interpretation of the imagery showed that L-band represented the geology of the area better than X-band. Several differences between the various images were also noted. Further digital analysis of the corrected data was done for enhancement purposes. This analysis included application of an MSS differencing routine and development of a routine for removal of relief displacement. It was found that accurate registration of the SAR channels is critical to the effectiveness of the differencing routine. Use of the relief displacement algorithm on the SP Mountain data demonstrated the feasibility of the technique

Data Sharing in Southeast Asia During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: When a new pathogen emerges, consistent case reporting is critical for public health surveillance. Tracking cases geographically and over time is key for understanding the spread of an infectious disease and effectively designing interventions to contain and mitigate an epidemic. In this paper we describe the reporting systems on COVID-19 in Southeast Asia during the first wave in 2020, and highlight the impact of specific reporting methods. Methods: We reviewed key epidemiological variables from various sources including a regionally comprehensive dataset, national trackers, dashboards, and case bulletins for 11 countries during the first wave of the epidemic in Southeast Asia. We recorded timelines of shifts in epidemiological reporting systems and described the differences in how epidemiological data are reported across countries and timepoints. Results: Our findings suggest that countries in Southeast Asia generally reported precise and detailed epidemiological data during the first wave of the pandemic. Changes in reporting rarely occurred for demographic data, while reporting shifts for geographic and temporal data were frequent. Most countries provided COVID-19 individual-level data daily using HTML and PDF, necessitating scraping and extraction before data could be used in analyses. Conclusion: Our study highlights the importance of more nuanced analyses of COVID-19 epidemiological data within and across countries because of the frequent shifts in reporting. As governments continue to respond to impacts on health and the economy, data sharing also needs to be prioritised given its foundational role in policymaking, and in the implementation and evaluation of interventions

Una bioestratigrafía actualizada de la Formación Agrio, Cretácico Temprano de Cuenca Neuquina, Argentina

A lo largo de los últimos años nuestros estudios en la Formación Agrio, unidad cuspidal del Grupo Mendoza del Cretácico Temprano de la Cuenca Neuquina, nos han permitido mejorar y afinar la bioestratigrafía basada en amonoideos del intervalo Valanginiano-Barremiano temprano? inicialmente propuesta en 1997. La zona de Olcostephanus (Olcostephanus) atherstoni representa los niveles basales de la unidad en el centro de la cuenca (Valanginiano Temprano tardío-Valanginiano Tardío temprano) con sus tres subzonas: Olcostephanus (O.) atherstoni, Karakaschiceras attenuatum y Olcostephanus (Viluceras) permolestum. Luego de la propuesta de Klein de considerar a Viluceras un género válido es que debemos modificar el nombre de la subzona a Viluceras permolestum. La siguiente zona de Pseudofavrella angulatiformis (Valanginiano Tardío) también esta dividida en tres subzonas: P. angulatiformis, Chacantuceras ornatum y "Neocomites" sp. Luego de la reciente revisión sistemática de neocomítidos de Aguirre- Urreta y Rawson se hace necesario renominar la subzona superior como Decliveites crassicostatum. Las zonas de Holcoptychites neuquensis, Hoplitocrioceras gentilii y Weavericeras vacaensis representan al Hauteriviano Temprano. La revisión de nuevo material de Spitidiscus puede llevar a la subdivisión de la zona de Spitidiscus riccardii del Hauteriviano Tardío temprano en dos subzonas. Los amonoideos crioceratítidos están actualmente representados en las zonas de Crioceratites schalagintweiti y Crioceratites diamantensis del Hauteriviano Tardío. El estudio de una fauna de crioceratítidos muy evolutos y gruesamente costulados reconocidos en la parte alta de la zona de C. diamantensis nos permitirá proponer una zona adicional por debajo de la zona de Paraspiticeras groeberi. Esta zona es la última actualmente reconocida. Sin embargo, la porción cuspidal de la Formación Agrio tiene amonoideos ancylocerátidos enrollados y desenrrollados aún poco estudiados. Estos últimos podrían corresponder a Sabaudiella simplex Busnardo, una especie típica del Hauteriviano Tardío de la región Mediterránea. Esta asociación representaría la zona de amonoideos más joven del Cretácico Temprano en la Cuenca Neuquina.Sesiones libresFacultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Age and Prostate-Specific Antigen Level Prior to Diagnosis Predict Risk of Death from Prostate Cancer.

A single early prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level has been correlated with a higher likelihood of prostate cancer diagnosis and death in younger men. PSA testing in older men has been considered of limited utility. We evaluated prostate cancer death in relation to age and PSA level immediately prior to prostate cancer diagnosis. Using the Veterans Affairs database, we identified 230,081 men aged 50-89 years diagnosed with prostate cancer and at least one prior PSA test between 1999 and 2009. Prostate cancer-specific death over time was calculated for patients stratified by age group (e.g., 50-59 years, through 80-89 years) and PSA range at diagnosis (10 ranges) using Kaplan-Meier methods. Risk of 10-year prostate cancer mortality across age and PSA was compared using log-rank tests with a Bonferroni adjustment for multiple testing. 10.5% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer died of cancer during the 10-year study period (mean follow-up = 3.7 years). Higher PSA values prior to diagnosis predict a higher risk of death in all age groups (p < 0.0001). Within the same PSA range, older age groups are at increased risk for death from prostate cancer (p < 0.0001). For PSA of 7-10 ng/mL, cancer-specific death, 10 years after diagnosis, increased from 7% for age 50-59 years to 51% for age 80-89 years. Men older than 70 years are more likely to die of prostate cancer at any PSA level than younger men, suggesting prostate cancer remains a significant problem among older men (even those aged 80+) and deserves additional study

Structure of the Vacuolar H⁺-ATPase Rotary Motor Reveals New Mechanistic Insights

Vacuolar H+-ATPases are multisubunit complexes that operate with rotary mechanics and are essential for membrane proton transport throughout eukaryotes. Here we report a ∼1 nm resolution reconstruction of a V-ATPase in a different conformational state from that previously reported for a lower-resolution yeast model. The stator network of the V-ATPase (and by implication that of other rotary ATPases) does not change conformation in different catalytic states, and hence must be relatively rigid. We also demonstrate that a conserved bearing in the catalytic domain is electrostatic, contributing to the extraordinarily high efficiency of rotary ATPases. Analysis of the rotor axle/membrane pump interface suggests how rotary ATPases accommodate different c ring stoichiometries while maintaining high efficiency. The model provides evidence for a half channel in the proton pump, supporting theoretical models of ion translocation. Our refined model therefore provides new insights into the structure and mechanics of the V-ATPases

Neuroligins determine synapse maturation and function

Synaptogenesis, the generation and maturation of functional synapses between nerve cells, is an essential step in the development of neuronal networks in the brain. It is thought to be triggered by members of the neuroligin family of postsynaptic cell adhesion proteins, which may form transsynaptic contacts with presynaptic alpha- and beta-neurexins and have been implicated in the etiology of autism. We show that deletion mutant mice lacking neuroligin expression die shortly after birth due to respiratory failure. This respiratory failure is a consequence of reduced GABAergic/glycinergic and glutamatergic synaptic transmission and network activity in brainstem centers that control respiration. However, the density of synaptic contacts is not altered in neuroligin-deficient brains and cultured neurons. Our data show that neuroligins are required for proper synapse maturation and brain function, but not for the initial formation of synaptic contacts