Law School in a Pandemic Ungrouped: How Online J.D. Experiences Varied Across Students

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, law schools and students resiliently forged ahead, endeavoring — many for the first time — to pursue their J.D. programs online. AccessLex Institute® and Gallup partnered to survey law students about their experiences with online J.D. courses during this time, releasing two Law School in a Pandemic reports in 2021 and 2022 to discuss each year’s findings. This third and final report in the series examines the extent to which student perceptions of their J.D. programs during the pandemic differed by various characteristics — namely race/ethnicity, age, enrollment status, caregiver status, and law school tier. Generally, we find that part-time students, caregivers, students ages 30 and older, and those attending tier-four (T4) ranked law schools were most receptive to online J.D. courses and reported more favorable experiences compared to their counterparts. And while there were few differences by race/ethnicity, we find that underrepresented students of color were more likely than White and Asian students to perceive that online courses allow more time to gain legal work experience and work to earn money. However, underrepresented students were less likely to report easy access to career services and to agree their J.D. program is worth the cost. These findings suggest that the appeal of online J.D. courses varies across student demographics. Law schools seeking to broaden distance learning opportunities can leverage these results to design equitable, quality online experiences for their students

Increasing Extra-genital Gonorrhea and Chlamydia Screening in the College Health Setting

Extra-genital gonorrhea and chlamydia infections affecting the throat and rectum continue to increase among young adults. People aged 24 years and younger are the most at-risk. Low rates of extra-genital screening present the problem of a missed diagnosis of gonorrhea and chlamydia. Any missed diagnosis delays evidenced-based treatment and contributes to the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and avoidable complications. This project aimed to implement a standardized process for screening patients and increase extra-genital testing. The Theoretical Domains Framework and a multidisciplinary team approach were adopted as the operational framework to guide the project. The project was conducted in a college health setting at a university student health center. Established goals were to modify and implement a sexual history-taking tool, educate nursing staff and providers on use of the tool, introduce the Five Ps of sexual history-taking: Partners, Practices, Protection, Past-History, and Prevention of Pregnancy, track compliance with use of the tool, and evaluate for an increase in extra-genital screening rates. Quantitative results revealed a 93% overall use rate of the sexual history-taking tool. There was a 38% increase in extra-genital testing during the project implementation compared to the pre-data timeframe. Findings support the importance of the project as nurses and providers increased their knowledge of the Five Ps of sexual history-taking and confidence when discussing sexual health. An important finding was that the efficient use of extra-genital testing far outweighs the cost of a missed diagnosis of gonorrhea and chlamydia and untreated infection complications.D.N.P

If You\u27re On Time, You\u27re Late : Law School Application Timing Among Historically Underrepresented Applicants

The “not so big” secret of college and graduate school admissions is that applicants who apply early are more likely to receive an offer of admission than those who apply closer to the final deadline. The same is true for law school applicants. When applicants submit applications later, their admission chances may be lower simply due to the timing of their application rather than their qualifications. Applicants who identify as underrepresented people of color (uPOC) or socioeconomically disadvantaged are less likely to apply early to law school or utilize formal early decision programs. In other words, applicants who identify as uPOC or low-socioeconomic status (SES) may inadvertently self-select into a more competitive admission environment which ultimately reduces their likelihood of receiving an admission offer. The purpose of this brief is to further explore the relationship between application timing and law school admission outcomes. Additionally, we explore other factors associated with application timing, including knowledge of the admission process, admission process engagement, and LexPreLaw interventions. Based on our analyses, we find: The predicted likelihood of a late applicant receiving a law school admission offer is 24% compared to 40% for early/on-time applicants. LSAT timing is a key contributor to application timing. The predicted likelihood of applying late is 63% for applicants who sat for the LSAT late (after January 1) compared to only 26% for early or on-time (before January 1) applicants. Navigational capital and “headwinds” impact applicants’ ability to apply early. Early applicants more frequently demonstrated knowledge of the key tactics underlying an effective law school application strategy. Those who applied late more frequently cited incomplete or inaccurate understanding of sound application strategy, including ideal timelines and submission processes. Applicants who are incentivized or coached to apply early are more likely to apply early or on-time. Factors such as prior experience in the law school application process, highest LSAT score percentile, and pre-existing knowledge of the application cycle are not statistically associated with timing of first law school application. Our findings underscore the importance of both knowing and executing an effective law school application strategy, such as submitting applications early, to increase one’s likelihood of law school admission. This is particularly important for historically marginalized applicants and those with relatively low standardized test scores

Early observed transient prostate-specific antigen elevations on a pilot study of external beam radiation therapy and fractionated MRI guided High Dose Rate brachytherapy boost

PURPOSE: To report early observation of transient PSA elevations on this pilot study of external beam radiation therapy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy boost. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven patients with intermediate-risk and high-risk localized prostate cancer received MRI guided HDR brachytherapy (10.5 Gy each fraction) before and after a course of external beam radiotherapy (46 Gy). Two patients continued on hormones during follow-up and were censored for this analysis. Four patients discontinued hormone therapy after RT. Five patients did not receive hormones. PSA bounce is defined as a rise in PSA values with a subsequent fall below the nadir value or to below 20% of the maximum PSA level. Six previously published definitions of biochemical failure to distinguish true failure from were tested: definition 1, rise >0.2 ng/mL; definition 2, rise >0.4 ng/mL; definition 3, rise >35% of previous value; definition 4, ASTRO defined guidelines, definition 5 nadir + 2 ng/ml, and definition 6, nadir + 3 ng/ml. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 24 months (range 18–36 mo). During follow-up, the incidence of transient PSA elevation was: 55% for definition 1, 44% for definition 2, 55% for definition 3, 33% for definition 4, 11% for definition 5, and 11% for definition 6. CONCLUSION: We observed a substantial incidence of transient elevations in PSA following combined external beam radiation and HDR brachytherapy for prostate cancer. Such elevations seem to be self-limited and should not trigger initiation of salvage therapies. No definition of failure was completely predictive

Fostering Capacity Building Among Groups of Disadvantaged Farmers, Southeastern North Carolina (USA)

We present preliminary results from a qualitative comparative case study involving small-scale and disadvantaged (predominantly African American) farmers in southeastern North Carolina. Agricultural assistance organizations have promoted development of farmer cooperatives as an adaptive strategy for these farmers, with only limited success. This research explores factors that contribute to or detract from the capacity of disadvantaged rural households to take advantage of new opportunities, and the role of both tangible intangible assets in shaping outcomes. We gained rich insights about these factors through the provision of tangible assets and business planning assistance to four small groups of disadvantaged farmers attempting to adopt the innovation of collaboration. Provision of tangible assets is insufficient to ensure success; our findings suggest that capacity-building efforts focused too narrowly on assets can lead assistance providers to neglect critical mediating factors that influence outcomes. A key mediating factor is the strength of trust-based relationships among group members and between groups and assistance providers; establishment of such relationships is a necessary precursor to cooperation and capacity development. One implication is that assistance organizations might improve outcomes of programs aimed at disadvantaged populations by focusing on trust-building interactions and by providing coaching and facilitation services

Barriers and Facilitators to Local Food Market Development: A Contingency Perspective

Many government and community supported programs and initiatives have been developed recently in response to social, economic, political, and environmental conditions presumed to be caused by the globalized food system. These programs are focused on building local food economies as a means to rectify these conditions and to enhance local communities. While efforts to strengthen local food systems (LFS) are increasing in number, little is known about how well these initiatives are working and what factors contribute to or limit program impact. In this paper, we report on a comparative assessment of barriers and facilitators to the development of local food markets conducted from the perspective of 11 local food coordinators in the eastern region of North Carolina. Interviews with Cooperative Extension agents were analyzed based upon the contingency perspective to assess whether the development and success of local food markets depend on local conditions. Our findings suggest that local food markets are more or less successful given certain local conditions, but that local food markets are not being developed based upon assessment and analysis of local context. Further, institutional factors (e.g., food safety policy and institutional buyer attitudes) were found to have even more impact on local food market development than local conditions (e.g., urban proximity). The information presented in this report is intended to inform policymakers, planners, and administrators regarding environmental factors that should be considered when making decisions and plans to increase viability of LFS development