The expanded view of individualism and collectivism: One, two, or four dimensions?

Recent research to analyze and discuss cultural differences has employed a combination of five major dimensions of individualism–collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, femininity– masculinity (gender role differentiation), and long-term orientation. Among these dimensions, individualism–collectivism has received the most attention. Chronologically, this cultural attribute has been regarded as one, then two, and more recently, four dimensions of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism. However, research on this issue has not been conclusive and some have argued against this expansion. The current study attempts to explain and clarify this discussion by using a shortened version of the scale developed by Singelis et al. ((1995) Horizontal and vertical dimensions of individualism and collectivism: a theoretical and measurement refinement. CrossCultural Research 29(3): 240–275). Our analysis of aggregate data from 802 respondents from nine countries supports the expanded view. Data aggregation was based on the Mindscape Theory that proposes inter- and intracultural heterogeneity. This finding is reassuring to scholars who have been using the shortened version of the instrument because confirmatory factor analysis indicated its validity. The findings of the present study provides clarification of some apparent ambiguity in recent research in specifying some cultures such as India, Israel, and Spain as individualists or collectivists. By separating the four constructs, more nuanced classification is possible. Also, such a distinction enables us to entertain such concepts as the Mindscape Theory that proposes a unique intracultural and transcultural heterogeneity that do not stereotype the whole culture as either individualist or collectivis

Developmental Evaluation in Theory versus Practice: Lessons from Three Developmental Evaluation Pilots

Background. Developmental Evaluation (DE) practitioners turn to DE theory to make design and implementation decisions. However, DE practitioners can experience difficulty in fully understanding how to implement DE using theory because it is method agnostic (Patton, 2016). Instead, DE is a principle-based approach. Purpose. This article presents an empirical examination of how DE theory was (or was not) applied during three DE pilots. Our analysis aims to better understand how DE theory is used in practice to expand the evidence base and strengthen future DE implementation. Setting. A consortium of three organizations implemented three DE pilots through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from November 2016 to September 2019. The authors—who participated in the consortium—did not implement the DEs but instead conducted a study or meta-evaluation across the DE pilots. Data Collection and Analysis. This article focuses on the results of an ex post facto analysis of three DE pilots based on the entire DE implementation experience. For each DE studied, we used mixed methods to collect data on the effectiveness of the DE approach, to identify adaptations to strengthen DE implementation in the USAID context, and to measure its value to stakeholders. Data included more than 100 hours of interviews, 465 pages of qualitative data, and 30 surveys completed by DE participants. Findings. We find that the ability to apply the DE principles in practice is influenced, in no particular order, by DE participant buy-in to the DE, the Developmental Evaluator’s aptitude, support and resources available to the Developmental Evaluator, and the number of DE participants. We also find that buy-in can change and this should be closely monitored throughout a DE to inform whether a DE should be paused or prematurely ended. Keywords: Developmental Evaluation; developmental evaluator skills; buy-in; DE practice; DE funder; meta-evaluatio

Labor Migration Challenges in Economic Planning: A Case Study of Astana

The end of the cold war removed a major barrier against free trade and consequently, globalization of business spread economic developments around the world, created job opportunities, particularly in industrial sectors, which led to migration of many people who were in search of a better life. Newly independent countries have emerged and many have been, or are in the process of, integrating into various trade packs of the free market system. This labor migration has taken place at various levels. This work studies the attributes of domestic migration and the challenges it has created for economic and urban planning. The article outlines the results of a study conducted to understand the migration patterns into the newly established capital city of Kazakhstan, Astana, for planning purposes

Involvement of the GABA-Ergic System in Anxiolytic- and Antidepressive Effects of the Scrophularia striata Extract in Rats

Recently, neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of an extract of Scrophularia striata Boiss (Sc. st.) (Scrophulariaceae) were shown in rodents. In our study, we investigated the effects of the Sc. st. extract on anxiety and depression-like behaviors in rats and tried to find possible mechanisms responsible for these influences. The elevated plus-maze (EPM) and forced swimming test (FST) were used. The ethanol extract of Sc. st. was perorally administered at different doses (20, 50, 100, 160, and 220 mg/kg). We also assessed interaction between the effective doses of Sc. st. and GABAA receptors in the brain. It was found that Sc. st. at doses of 100 and 160 mg/kg increased normalized values of the open arm time and number of entries in the EPM and decreased the immobility time in the FST in comparison with the control group, indicating anxiolytic and antidepression effects, respectively. Intracerebroventricular administrations of a GABAA receptor agonist, muscimol (0.5, 0.75, and 1 µg/rat), enhanced the respective Sc. st. effects, while a GABAA receptor antagonist, bicuculline (0.5, 1 and 2 µg/rat), blocked these effects. Thus, anxiolytic and antidepressive effects of the active components of Sc. st. may be mediated by modulation of the GABAergic system.Нещодавно в експериментах на гризунах були продемонстровані нейропротективні та протизапальні ефекти екстракту ранника смугастого, Scrophularia striata Boiss (Sc. st., Scrophulariaceae). Ми досліджували впливи екстракту Sc. st. на аспекти поведінки щурів, пов’язані з тривожністю та депресивністю, і намагалися з’ясувати механізми, відповідальні за реалізацію цих впливів. Тестували поведінку в піднятому лабіринті (ПЛ) і в тесті вимушеного плавання (ТВП). 20, 50, 100, 160 або 220 мг/кг сухої речовини спиртового екстракту Sc. st. уводилися перорально у вигляді вод­ного розчину. Ми також досліджували взаємодію екстракту Sc. st. в ефективних дозах і ГАМКА-рецепторів у головному мозку. Екстракт у дозах 100 та 160 мг/кг забезпечував вірогідне збільшення нормованих значень часу перебування у відкритій гілці ПЛ і числа входів до неї і зменшував тривалість періоду нерухомості в ТВП порівняно з відповідними значеннями в контрольній групі; це свідчило, відповідно, про анксіолітичний та антидепресивний ефекти. Внутрішньошлуночкові введення агоніста ГАМКA-рецепторів мусцимолу (0.5, 0.75 і 1 мкг на тварину) посилювали відповідні ефекти Sc. st. Антагоніст же ГАМКA-рецепторів бікукулін (0.5, 1 і 2 мкг на щура) блокував ці ефекти. Таким чином, анксіолітичні та антидепресивні ефекти активних компонентів Sc. st. можуть опосередковуватися модуляцією стану ГАМК-ергічної системи

Saturable Absorption of Free-Electron Laser Radiation by Graphite near the Carbon K-Edge

The interaction of intense light with matter gives rise to competing nonlinear responses that can dynamically change material properties. Prominent examples are saturable absorption (SA) and two-photon absorption (TPA), which dynamically increase and decrease the transmission of a sample depending on pulse intensity, respectively. The availability of intense soft X-ray pulses from free-electron lasers (FELs) has led to observations of SA and TPA in separate experiments, leaving open questions about the possible interplay between and relative strength of the two phenomena. Here, we systematically study both phenomena in one experiment by exposing graphite films to soft X-ray FEL pulses of varying intensity. By applying real-time electronic structure calculations, we find that for lower intensities the nonlinear contribution to the absorption is dominated by SA attributed to ground-state depletion; our model suggests that TPA becomes more dominant for larger intensities (\u3e1014 W/cm2). Our results demonstrate an approach of general utility for interpreting FEL spectroscopies

Effects of potassium availability on growth and development of barley cultivars

Potassium deficiency is one of the major issues affecting crop production around the globe. Giving the high cost of potassium fertilizers and environmental concerns related to inappropriate fertilization practices, developing more potassium use efficient (KUE) varieties is critical for sustainable food production in agricultural systems. In this study, we analysed the impact of potassium availability on agronomical attributes of thirty barley genotypes grown at four different levels of potassium (0.002 mM, 0.02 mM, 2 mM, 20 mM) under glasshouse conditions. The results showed that the availability of potassium in the soil had a major effect on yield components i.e., spike number, grain number and grain weight. Furthermore, grain weight showed a strong correlation with grain number and spike number at all levels of potassium supply. Although an increase in potassium supply led to an increase in plant height in all genotypes, the correlation with grain weight was very weak at all levels. Potassium supplementation caused an increase in shoot dry weight, which also showed a weak correlation with grain weight at the 0.002 mM potassium supply level. The genotypes Gebeina, Skiff, YF374, Flagship and YF374 were highly efficient in performing at suboptimal K supply levels and, thus, can be recommended to be grown in K-impoverished soils. We also suggest that grain and spike numbers could be used as proxies for KUE studies, to construct DH lines and identify QTL to improve low potassium tolerance and KUE in barley

A functional link between bone morphogenetic proteins and insulin-like peptide 3 signaling in modulating ovarian androgen production

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) are firmly implicated as intra-ovarian regulators of follicle development and steroidogenesis. Here we report a microarray analysis showing that treatment of cultured bovine theca cells (TC) with BMP6 significantly (>2-fold; P<0.01) up- or down-regulated expression of 445 genes. Insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) was the most heavily down-regulated gene (-43-fold) with CYP17A1 and other key transcripts involved in TC steroidogenesis including LHCGR, INHA, STAR, CYP11A1 and HSD3B1 also down-regulated. BMP6 also reduced expression of NR5A1 encoding steroidogenic factor-1 known to target the promoter regions of the aforementioned genes. Real-time PCR confirmed these findings and also revealed a marked reduction in expression of INSL3 receptor (RXFP2). Secretion of INSL3 protein and androstenedione were also suppressed suggesting a functional link between BMP and INSL3 pathways in controlling androgen synthesis. RNAi-mediated knockdown of INSL3 reduced INSL3 mRNA and secreted protein level (75 and 94%, respectively) and elicited a 77% reduction in CYP17A1 mRNA level and 83% reduction in androstenedione secretion. Knockdown of RXFP2 also reduced CYP17A1 mRNA level (81%) and androstenedione secretion (88%). Conversely, treatment with exogenous (human) INSL3 increased androstenedione secretion ~2-fold. The CYP17 inhibitor abiraterone abolished androgen secretion and reduced expression of both INSL3 and RXFP2. Collectively, these findings indicate a positive autoregulatory role for INSL3 signaling in maintaining thecal androgen production, and visa versa. Moreover, BMP6-induced suppression of thecal androgen synthesis may be mediated, at least in part, by reduced INSL3-RXFP2 signaling

Recommendations for Nanomedicine Human Subjects Research Oversight: An Evolutionary Approach for an Emerging Field

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96363/1/j.1748-720X.2012.00703.x.pd