Growing Social Inequalities in Youth Civic Engagement? Evidence from the National Election Study

Social class differences in civic engagement persist for both youth and adults. Although empirical evidence is mixed, several recent social changes pertaining to youth suggest that social inequalities in civic engagement may be growing over time for young people. Using data from the National Election Study, we compared trends for youth and older adults of varying education levels and tested the hypothesis of an increasing educational disparity in youth political participation. Results for voting supported our expectations: declines over time were found for less-educated youth only. Unexpectedly, participation in other political activities for more-educated youth declined more over time compared to other groups. Our findings highlight the need to create equal opportunities for youth civic engagement across social groups

Guía para la gestión y control de los procesos constructivos que componen los proyectos de infraestructura de salud desarrollados por Constructora Joher S.A.

Proyecto de Graduación (Licenciatura en Ingeniería en Construcción) Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Escuela de Ingeniería en Construcción, 2021Este proyecto consistió en la elaboración de una guía con las principales consideraciones para la gestión y control de los procesos constructivos más determinantes, en cuanto a costos y plazos, que componen las edificaciones de salud que albergan Ebais tipo I que comúnmente construye la empresa Constructora Joher S.A. Para esto se buscó caracterizar este tipo de infraestructura, se identificaron los procesos constructivos más determinantes en este tipo de proyectos y estos se diagnosticaron con base en las necesidades de la organización. Esto se logró mediante el estudio de históricos de la empresa para estos proyectos, visitas a campo a un proyecto de construcción de Ebais tipo I, sondeo a los colaboradores de la empresa y consulta al director de proyectos de Constructora Joher S.A. Como resultado se obtuvo la identificación de similitudes entre los procesos constructivos de los diferentes proyectos, así como una guía que plantea aspectos en relación con alcance, costos, plazos y materiales de los procesos constructivos más determinantes de estas obras.This project consisted in the development of a guide with the main considerations for the management and control of the most decisive construction processes that make up the health buildings for Ebais type I that are commonly built by the company Constructora Joher S.A. For this, it was sought to characterize this type of infrastructure, the most decisive construction processes in this type of projects were identified and these were diagnosed based on the needs of the organization. This was achieved by studying company historical information for these projects, visits to an Ebais type I construction project, polling company employees and expert consultation with the project manager of Constructora Joher S.A. As a result, the similarities between the construction processes of the different projects were identified. Similarly, a guide was obtained that develops aspects of scope, costs, deadlines, and materials of the most decisive construction processes of these construction projects

Genomic characterization of the evolutionary potential of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis facing ocean acidification

Ocean acidification (OA) is increasing due to anthropogenic CO2 emissions and poses a threat to marine species and communities worldwide. To better project the effects of acidification on organisms’ health and persistence, an understanding is needed of the 1) mechanisms underlying developmental and physiological tolerance and 2) potential populations have for rapid evolutionary adaptation. This is especially challenging in nonmodel species where targeted assays of metabolism and stress physiology may not be available or economical for large-scale assessments of genetic constraints. We used mRNA sequencing and a quantitative genetics breeding design to study mechanisms underlying genetic variability and tolerance to decreased seawater pH (-0.4 pH units) in larvae of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis. We used a gene ontology-based approach to integrate expression profiles into indirect measures of cellular and biochemical traits underlying variation in larval performance (i.e., growth rates). Molecular responses to OA were complex, involving changes to several functions such as growth rates, cell division, metabolism, and immune activities. Surprisingly, the magnitude of pH effects on molecular traits tended to be small relative to variation attributable to segregating functional genetic variation in this species. We discuss how the application of transcriptomics and quantitative genetics approaches across diverse species can enrich our understanding of the biological impacts of climate change

Designing a digital ecosystem for the new museum environment: the Virtual Museum of the Pacific

The Virtual Museum of the Pacific is a social media platform for a digital ecosystem, which enables a variety of user communities to engage with the Pacific Collection of the Australian Museum. The success of the system depends on facilitating the development of culturally relevant folksonomies and encouraging a conversation between online communities. In this paper we explore the relationships between stakeholders, folksonomy and taxonomy, to reveal the design strategies which inform this digital ecosystem. Our analysis defines the scope for the social tagging component of our information model and discusses how users might interact with objects (in terms of their knowledge base) and also contribute to ongoing taxonomic definitions. Given its capacity to span both collection management and community access issues, we contend that the Virtual Museum of the Pacific is a significant model for online community interaction in the contemporary museum environment

How Do Collegiate Sport Clubs Achieve Organizational Effectiveness?

A greater understanding of the organizational processes of sport clubs can inform strategies to improve clubs’ organizational effectiveness. This study examined whether sport club capacity and activities influence the organizational effectiveness of collegiate sport clubs. Sport club members (n = 201) completed a questionnaire, with secondary data collected from the university. Regression analysis found club operations, club fiscal responsibility, frequency of club practice, and frequency of competitions significantly, positively predict organizational effectiveness. Comparatively, club human capital and facility quality significantly, negatively predict organizational effectiveness. These results have implications relating to club training, mentorship, resource allocation, and club activities

Utilization and Impact of Career Services Among Collegiate Athletes

Career readiness is a concern within the American educational system, particularly among student-athletes that must manage intense time commitments both on and off the field. Student services have emerged in higher education to support career preparation, but the utilization and impact of these services for collegiate athletes is largely unknown. The systems-theory framework (STF) of career development identifies a multitude of internal and external factors that influence individual career development. Guided by STF, the purpose of this study was to predict the factors that influence collegiate athletes\u27 utilization of career services and resulting perceived career skills. An online questionnaire was distributed to collegiate athletes at a Division I university, resulting in 143 collegiate athletes completing the questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated collegiate athletes’ familiarity with career services significantly predicted their utilization of career services. In turn, utilization of only four of nine career services investigated (i.e., Careers Online, Career Fairs, Career Workshops, and Athletic Academic Advisor) significantly predicted perceived career skills positively. Implications for the design and marketing of career services for collegiate athletes are discussed

Accessing elite nurses for research: reflections on the theoretical and practical issues of telephone interviewing

Elite groups are interesting as they frequently are powerful (in terms of position, knowledge and influence) and enjoy considerable authority. It is important, therefore, to involve them in research concerned with understanding social contexts and processes. This is particularly pertinent in healthcare, where considerable strategic development and change are features of everyday practice that may be guided or perceived as being guided, by elites. This paper evolved from a study investigating the availability and role of nurses whose remit involved leading nursing research and development within acute NHS Trusts in two health regions in Southern England. The study design included telephone interviews with Directors of Nursing Services during which time the researchers engaged in a reflective analysis of their experiences of conducting research with an `elite' group. Important issues identified were the role of gatekeepers, engagement with elites and the use of the telephone interview method in this context. The paper examines these issues and makes a case for involving executive nurses in further research. The paper also offers strategies to help researchers design and implement telephone interview studies successfully to maximise access to the views and experiences of `hard to reach groups', such as elites, while minimising the associated disruption

Setting a common standard in clinical skills assessment: The experience of the California Consortium for the Assessment of Clinical Competence

Objective or purpose of innovation: To identify common clinical skills competency thresholds across schools by centralizing standard setting for a multi-institutional assessment. Background and/or theoretical framework and importance to the field: The California Consortium for the Assessment of Clinical Competence (CCACC) comprises 10 medical schools that administer a common multi-station clinical skills assessment (CPX). Previously, each institution determined their own, largely norm-referenced passing thresholds for the examination. With the elimination of USMLE Step 2 CS, there is a recognized need for robust clinical skills assessment beyond the individual institutional level. A collaboratively developed, multi-institutional examination with passing thresholds established via a rigorous process offers greater validity evidence for summative decisions made based on its results. Accordingly, the CCACC undertook centralized, criterion-based standard setting for the CPX. Design: Passing thresholds for the six core CPX cases were determined via two methods: modified Angoff, using expert raters from multiple institutions, and borderline regression, using global encounter ratings assigned by standardized patients. Results from the two methods were compared to each other and to institutions’ prior thresholds. Outcomes: Both methods yielded the same cumulative cut score based on averages across all cases (70%), but exhibited variation between individual cases, suggesting case-specificity. Compared with prior thresholds, some institutions’ pass rates would have been higher using the common criterion-referenced cut score, while others would have been lower. Innovation’s strengths and limitations: This study demonstrates the feasibility of centralizing standard setting across multiple institutions using two criterion-based methods. Standardized patient ratings may generate similar passing thresholds to those determined by clinicians. Further studies are necessary to determine whether these findings generalize to other case types and how best to apply centralized standards within each institution’s context. Feasibility and generalizability: The CCACC’s standard setting approaches may be applied across other institutions sharing an assessment, allowing for comparison of learner performance to a common standard. Given the similar results, the choice of method may be determined by resource availability