SISTERS OF THE CALIPHATE: MEDIA AND THE WOMEN OF ISIS

Women have long been viewed as the “weaker sex”–more peace-loving and passive than men. However, clashes in Sri Lanka and Northern Ireland have shown that women are both willing and able to participate in violent conflict (Alison, 2004; Cheldelin & Eliatamby, 2011). We will specifically examine the recruitment to and roles of women in the Islamic State through an examination of the scholarship on female fighters, in order to contextualize the women of ISIS. We conclude with a suggestion that scholars and others interested in the experience of women in conflict move away from overly simplistic framings which suggest women have little to no agency

The expression and potential function of bone morphogenetic proteins 2 and 4 in bovine trophectoderm

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) were first described for their roles in bone formation, but they now also are known to possess additional activities, including those relating to embryogenesis. The objectives of this work were to 1) determine if peri-attachment bovine conceptuses and bovine trophoblast cells (CT1) contain transcripts for <it>BMP2 </it>and <it>4</it>, an innate inhibitor noggin (<it>NOG</it>), and BMP2/4 receptors (<it>BMPRII</it>, <it>ACVR1</it>, <it>BMPR1A</it>, <it>BMPR1B</it>), and 2) determine if BMP2 or 4 supplementation to CT1 cells affects cell proliferation, differentiation or trophoblast-specific gene expression.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>RNA was isolated from day 17 bovine conceptuses and CT1 cells. After RT-PCR, amplified products were cloned and sequenced. In other studies CT1 cells were treated with BMP2 or 4 at various concentrations and effects on cell viability, cell differentiation and abundance of IFNT and CSH1 mRNA were evaluated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Transcripts for <it>BMP2 </it>and <it>4 </it>were detected in bovine conceptuses and CT1 cells. Also, transcripts for each BMP receptor were detected in conceptuses and CT1 cells. Transcripts for <it>NOG </it>were detected in conceptuses but not CT1 cells. Cell proliferation was reduced by BMP4 but not BMP2 supplementation. Both factors reduced <it>IFNT </it>mRNA abundance but had no effect on <it>CSH1 </it>mRNA abundance in CT1 cells.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The BMP2/4 ligand and receptor system presides within bovine trophectoderm prior to uterine attachment. BMP4 negatively impacts CT1 cell growth and both BMPs affect IFNT mRNA abundance.</p

State and Local Anti-Predatory Lending Laws: The Effect of Legal Enforcement Mechanisms

Subprime mortgage lending has grown rapidly in recent years and with it, so have concerns about predatory lending. In response to evidence of predatory lending, most states have enacted new laws or expanded existing laws to address abuses in the subprime home loan market. The effect of these statutes is a matter of debate. This paper seeks to improve the understanding of this increasingly important issue and pays particular attention to the role that legal enforcement mechanisms play in this context. The results of the analysis are consistent with the view that anti-predatory lending laws influence subprime lending markets and that disaggregating the details of the overall legal framework into its component parts is essential for understanding subprime market dynamics. The restrictions, coverage, and enforcement components all have significant relationships with subprime market outcomes, with the coverage relationship found to be broadly consistent with the reverse lemons hypothesis put forward by Ho and Pennington-Cross (2007). The results also suggest that the newer mini-HOEPA laws have had an impact on the subprime market above and beyond the older preexisting laws, particularly for subprime originations. Broader coverage through these new laws is associated with higher origination likelihoods, while increased restrictions through the mini-HOEPA laws are associated with lower origination propensities

The Impact of State Anti-Predatory Lending Laws: Policy Implications and Insights

The subprime mortgage market, which consists of high-cost loans designed for borrowers with weak credit, has grown tremendously over the past ten years. Between 1993 and 2005, the subprime market experienced an average annual growth rate of 26 percent. As this market emerged, so did allegations that subprime loans contained predatory features or were the result of predatory sales practices.3 In the worst cases, brokers deceived borrowers about the meaning of loan terms or falsely promised to assist them in obtaining future refinance loans with better terms. In other situations, borrowers entered into loans with low teaser rates, not aware how high their monthly payments could go when their interest rates reset

The Impact of Predatory Lending Laws: Policy Implications and Insights

Over half the states and several localities have enacted statutes and ordinances to regulate abuses in the residential mortgage market. The effect of these statutes is a matter of debate. This paper seeks to improve the understanding of this increasingly important issue and pays particular attention to the role that legal enforcement mechanisms play in this context. We created a legal index of laws governing mortgage lending terms and practices, giving each state an overall score for the strength of its laws. In addition, we disaggregated the index to create sub-indices along three dimensions: (1) the scope of loans covered by the laws; (2) the prohibited loan terms and practices; and (3) the strength of the legal enforcement mechanisms. We use these indices to determine the effect of anti-predatory lending laws-- using both total index scores and the scores using the sub-indices-- on loan applications, originations and rejections. To control for variations within state borders, we employ a geographic sampling approach that focuses on lending activity along state borders, including only loans that were originated in a county that is geographically along a state border and if at least one of the two abutting states has an anti-predatory lending law. We find that the extent of coverage, restrictions, and enforcement embodied in a state\u27s legal framework is associated with significant changes in the probability that a subprime application is rejected and a subprime loan is originated. Coverage is associated with lower subprime rejection probabilities. Restrictions tend to increase the likelihood of rejection and hence retard originations in the subprime market. Finally, the key result in the analysis of enforcement is that stronger enforcement mechanisms reduce subprime rejection probabilities. We conclude the paper by discussing the possible implications of these findings, including how anti-predatory lending laws may have shaped borrower and lender behavior and how our results can help inform shape future lending regulations. This paper makes a timely contribution given the current crisis in subprime lending and the call for increased scrutiny of lenders and the loans they originate

Data and Research that Matter: Mentoring School Counselors to Publish Action Research (Practitioner-Focused Research)

Data and research serve as powerful advocacy tools in highlighting the effectiveness of school counselors and school counseling programs. School counselor educators can be key mentors who support practitioners in sharing the findings of local school action research. This article focuses on four unique projects by school counselors that demonstrate specific outcomes in student achievement and the mentoring efforts in guiding the dissemination of their results. The authors discuss recommendations for school counselors and counselor educators based on the mentoring process and publishable action research projects

A Guide for Social Science Journal Editors on Easing into Open Science

Journal editors have a large amount of power to advance open science in their respective fields by incentivising and mandating open policies and practices at their journals. The Data PASS Journal Editors Discussion Interface (JEDI, an online community for social science journal editors: www.dpjedi.org) has collated several resources on embedding open science in journal editing (www.dpjedi.org/resources). However, it can be overwhelming as an editor new to open science practices to know where to start. For this reason, we created a guide for journal editors on how to get started with open science. The guide outlines steps that editors can take to implement open policies and practices within their journal, and goes through the what, why, how, and worries of each policy and practice. This manuscript introduces and summarizes the guide (full guide: https://osf.io/hstcx).<br/