Bourdieu, networks, and movements: Using the concepts of habitus, field and capital to understand a network analysis of gender differences in undergraduate physics

Current trends suggest that significant gender disparities exist within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education at university, with female students being underrepresented in physics, but more equally represented in life sciences (e.g., biology, medicine). To understand these trends, it is important to consider the context in which students make decisions about which university courses to enrol in. The current study seeks to investigate gender differences in STEM through a unique approach that combines network analysis of student enrolment data with an interpretive lens based on the sociological theory of Pierre Bourdieu. We generate a network of courses taken by around 9000 undergraduate physics students (from 2009 to 2014) to quantify Bourdieu's concept of field. We explore the properties of this network to investigate gender differences in transverse movements (between different academic fields) and vertical movements (changes in students' achievement rankings within a field). Our findings indicate that female students are more likely to make transverse movements into life science fields. We also find that university physics does a poor job in attracting high achieving students, and especially high achieving female students. Of the students who do choose to study physics, low achieving female students are less likely to continue than their male counterparts. The results and implications are discussed in the context of Bourdieu's theory, and previous research. We argue that in order to remove constraints on female student's study choices, the field of physics needs to provide a culture in which all students feel like they belong.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figures, 1 tabl

The sex or the head? Feminine voices and academic women through the work of Hélène Cixous

Hélène Cixous is perhaps best known for her paper, ‘The Laugh of the Medusa’ (1976) and her literary contributions outside academia. In this paper, we pick up a lesser known Cixous text, ‘Le Sexe ou la tête?’ that offers an interesting and provocative perspective on the traps associated with being feminine in a masculine environment. As we converse with Cixous, weaving our own words and experiences with hers, we link her work more closely with the feminine in modern-day academia. We suggest that Cixous’s remarks on decapitation and voice offer a way forward for academic women to be; to speak; to recognise the double jeopardy of decapitation in the university; and to use laughter as a strategic, powerful, political act of resistance and subversion against oppressive masculine power structures. We draw on and seek to enact Cixous’s notion of écriture feminine—a disruptive style of writing that provides a mode of being, speaking, and writing that subverts the power of masculine norms in order to be heard and to bring possibilities for change

Ethics and Leadership: Enablers and stumbling blocks

Many of the scandals, indiscretions and collapses, over the last few years, at formerly venerated organizations were the results of toxic relationships, dubious economic models, opaque workplace paradigms, as well as questionable collective and individual actions and behaviours of people who, ordinarily, would not be considered 'typically criminal'. The individuals involved have typically been people with good education, caring parents, were community contributors and, by all accounts, appeared to be upstanding members of society. Their involvement, therefore, in corrupt acts and relationships thus brings a numbers of issues under questionan important one of which is their ethical maturity, and the forming of that ethical development through important societal institutions such as: religion, education and the family. We set out to understand what some of the stumbling blocks were that prevent individuals from courageously acting on their sometimes vast bases of theoretical/common knowledge with respect to ethics and morals, but which has not yet become common practice. Additionally, we also sought to understand what the various enablers were for individuals who were able to live and act ethically, to further enhance such ethical and moral living and working. Our research sample was 646 middle managers who were all enrolled on the MBA programs of the University of Cape Town (South Africa) and Erasmus University (Netherlands). The research respondents self-reported on both the stumbling blocks and enablers, through writing up their personal experiences for our research. They also reported on what some of the practical actions were that they employed to live and work ethically

The very large G-protein coupled receptor VLGR1: a component of the ankle link complex required for the normal development of auditory hair bundles

Sensory hair bundles in the inner ear are composed of stereocilia that can be interconnected by a variety of different link types, including tip links, horizontal top connectors, shaft connectors, and ankle links. The ankle link antigen is an epitope specifically associated with ankle links and the calycal processes of photoreceptors in chicks. Mass spectrometry and immunoblotting were used to identify this antigen as the avian ortholog of the very large G-protein-coupled receptor VLGR1, the product of the Usher syndrome USH2C (Mass1) locus. Like ankle links, Vlgr1 is expressed transiently around the base of developing hair bundles in mice. Ankle links fail to form in the cochleae of mice carrying a targeted mutation in Vlgr1 (Vlgr1/del7TM), and the bundles become disorganized just after birth. FM1-43 [N-(3-triethylammonium)propyl)-4-(4-(dibutylamino)styryl) pyridinium dibromide] dye loading and whole-cell recordings indicate mechanotransduction is impaired in cochlear, but not vestibular, hair cells of early postnatal Vlgr1/del7TM mutant mice. Auditory brainstem recordings and distortion product measurements indicate that these mice are severely deaf by the third week of life. Hair cells from the basal half of the cochlea are lost in 2-month-old Vlgr1/del7TM mice, and retinal function is mildly abnormal in aged mutants. Our results indicate that Vlgr1 is required for formation of the ankle link complex and the normal development of cochlear hair bundles

Leveraging in vitro and pharmacokinetic models to support bench to bedside investigation of XTMAB-16 as a novel pulmonary sarcoidosis treatment

Background: Sarcoidosis is a chronic, multisystem inflammatory disorder characterized by non-caseating epithelioid granulomas; infiltration of mononuclear cells; and destruction of microarchitecture in the skin, eye, heart, and central nervous system, and the lung in >90% of cases. XTMAB-16 is a chimeric anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) antibody, distinct from other anti-TNF antibodies based on its molecular structure. The efficacy of XTMAB-16 has not been clinically demonstrated, and it is still undergoing clinical development as a potential treatment for sarcoidosis. The current study demonstrates the activity of XTMAB-16 in a well-established in vitro sarcoidosis granuloma model, although XTMAB-16 is not yet approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of sarcoidosis, or any other disease.Objective: To provide data to guide safe and efficacious dose selection for the ongoing clinical development of XTMAB-16 as a potential treatment for sarcoidosis.Methods: First, XTMAB-16 activity was evaluated in an established in vitro model of granuloma formation using peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with active pulmonary sarcoidosis to determine a potentially efficacious dose range. Second, data obtained from the first-in-human study of XTMAB-16 (NCT04971395) were used to develop a population pharmacokinetic (PPK) model to characterize the pharmacokinetics (PK) of XTMAB-16. Model simulations were performed to evaluate the sources of PK variability and to predict interstitial lung exposure based on concentrations in the in vitro granuloma model.Results: XTMAB-16 dose levels of 2 and 4 mg/kg, once every 2 weeks (Q2W) or once every 4 weeks (Q4W) for up to 12 weeks, were supported by data from the non-clinical, in vitro secondary pharmacology; the Phase 1 clinical study; and the PPK model developed to guide dose level and frequency assumptions. XTMAB-16 inhibited granuloma formation and suppressed interleukin-1β (IL-1β) secretion in the in vitro granuloma model with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 5.2 and 3.5 μg/mL, respectively. Interstitial lung concentrations on average, following 2 or 4 mg/kg administered Q2W or Q4W, are anticipated to exceed the in vitro IC50 concentrations.Conclusion: The data presented in this report provide a rationale for dose selection and support the continued clinical development of XTMAB-16 for patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis

North Carolina macular dystrophy (MCDR1) caused by a novel tandem duplication of the PRDM13 gene

PURPOSE: To identify the underlying cause of disease in a large family with North Carolina macular dystrophy (NCMD). METHODS: A large four-generation family (RFS355) with an autosomal dominant form of NCMD was ascertained. Family members underwent comprehensive visual function evaluations. Blood or saliva from six affected family members and three unaffected spouses was collected and DNA tested for linkage to the MCDR1 locus on chromosome 6q12. Three affected family members and two unaffected spouses underwent whole exome sequencing (WES) and subsequently, custom capture of the linkage region followed by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Standard PCR and dideoxy sequencing were used to further characterize the mutation. RESULTS: Of the 12 eyes examined in six affected individuals, all but two had Gass grade 3 macular degeneration features. Large central excavation of the retinal and choroid layers, referred to as a macular caldera, was seen in an age-independent manner in the grade 3 eyes. The calderas are unique to affected individuals with MCDR1. Genome-wide linkage mapping and haplotype analysis of markers from the chromosome 6q region were consistent with linkage to the MCDR1 locus. Whole exome sequencing and custom-capture NGS failed to reveal any rare coding variants segregating with the phenotype. Analysis of the custom-capture NGS sequencing data for copy number variants uncovered a tandem duplication of approximately 60 kb on chromosome 6q. This region contains two genes, CCNC and PRDM13. The duplication creates a partial copy of CCNC and a complete copy of PRDM13. The duplication was found in all affected members of the family and is not present in any unaffected members. The duplication was not seen in 200 ethnically matched normal chromosomes. CONCLUSIONS: The cause of disease in the original family with MCDR1 and several others has been recently reported to be dysregulation of the PRDM13 gene, caused by either single base substitutions in a DNase 1 hypersensitive site upstream of the CCNC and PRDM13 genes or a tandem duplication of the PRDM13 gene. The duplication found in the RFS355 family is distinct from the previously reported duplication and provides additional support that dysregulation of PRDM13, not CCNC, is the cause of NCMD mapped to the MCDR1 locus

Walk well:a randomised controlled trial of a walking intervention for adults with intellectual disabilities: study protocol

Background - Walking interventions have been shown to have a positive impact on physical activity (PA) levels, health and wellbeing for adult and older adult populations. There has been very little work carried out to explore the effectiveness of walking interventions for adults with intellectual disabilities. This paper will provide details of the Walk Well intervention, designed for adults with intellectual disabilities, and a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to test its effectiveness. Methods/design - This study will adopt a RCT design, with participants allocated to the walking intervention group or a waiting list control group. The intervention consists of three PA consultations (baseline, six weeks and 12 weeks) and an individualised 12 week walking programme. A range of measures will be completed by participants at baseline, post intervention (three months from baseline) and at follow up (three months post intervention and six months from baseline). All outcome measures will be collected by a researcher who will be blinded to the study groups. The primary outcome will be steps walked per day, measured using accelerometers. Secondary outcome measures will include time spent in PA per day (across various intensity levels), time spent in sedentary behaviour per day, quality of life, self-efficacy and anthropometric measures to monitor weight change. Discussion - Since there are currently no published RCTs of walking interventions for adults with intellectual disabilities, this RCT will examine if a walking intervention can successfully increase PA, health and wellbeing of adults with intellectual disabilities

Worldwide Argus II implantation: recommendations to optimize patient outcomes

Abstract Background A position paper based on the collective experiences of Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System investigators to review strategies to optimize outcomes in patients with retinitis pigmentosa undergoing retinal prosthesis implantation. Methods Retinal surgeons, device programmers, and rehabilitation specialists from Europe, Canada, Middle East, and the United States were convened to the first international Argus II Investigator Meeting held in Ann Arbor, MI in March 2015. The recommendations from the collective experiences were collected. Factors associated with successful outcomes were determined. Results Factors leading to successful outcomes begin with appropriate patient selection, expectation counseling, and preoperative retinal assessment. Challenges to surgical implantation include presence of staphyloma and inadequate Tenon’s capsule or conjunctiva. Modified surgical technique may reduce risks of complications such as hypotony and conjunctival erosion. Rehabilitation efforts and correlation with validated outcome measures following implantation are critical. Conclusions Bringing together Argus II investigators allowed the identification of strategies to optimize patient outcomes. Establishing an on-line collaborative network will foster coordinated research efforts to advance outcome assessment and rehabilitation strategies.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134581/1/12886_2016_Article_225.pd

Is peer review in academic publishing still working?

Peer review is central to academic publishing. Yet for many it is a mysterious and contentious practice, which can cause distress for both reviewers, and those whose work is reviewed. This paper, produced by the Editors’ Collective, examines the past and future of peer review in academic publishing. The first sections consider how peer review has been defined and practised in changing academic contexts, and its educational significance in the development of scholarship. The paper then explores major historical and contemporary issues around identity, diversity, anonymity, and the review process, and the related power of editors versus reviewers in academic publishing. Finally, the paper discusses the case of new scholars as reviewers engaging in neoliberal labour, before concluding with some brief recommendations based on our analysis

Collective writing: An inquiry into praxis

This is the second text in the series collectively written by members of the Editors' Collective, which comprises a series of individual and collaborative reflections upon the experience of contributing to the previous and first text written by the Editors' Collective: 'Towards a Philosophy of Academic Publishing.' In the article, contributors reflect upon their experience of collective writing and summarize the main themes and challenges. They show that the act of collective writing disturbs the existing systems of academic knowledge creation, and link these disturbances to the age of the digital reason. They conclude that the collaborative and collective action is a thing of learning-by-doing, and that collective writing seems to offer a possible way forward from the co-opting of academic activities by economics. Through detaching knowledge creation from economy, collaborative and collective writing address the problem of forming new collective intelligences