A Profile of Black Women in the 21st Century Academy: Still Learning from the “Outsider-Within”

In 1986, sociologist Patricia Hill Collins published the groundbreaking essay, “Learning from the Outsider Within: The Sociological Significance of Black Feminist Thought.” In that pivotal piece, she describes the unique experiences and perspectives of Black women faculty in academia, specifically within predominately-white institutions (PWI’s). Today, Black women faculty account for only 3 percent of all faculty nationwide (Ryu, 2010), and face a myriad of challenges related to their social location. Racism, sexism, and other interlocking oppressions create troubling obstacles for Black women at all levels in academia (Benjamin, 1998; Collins, 2000; Gregory, 2001; hooks, 1989; King, 1988). Using Collins’ work as a starting point and theoretical grounding, this article will offer a demographic portrait of Black women’s participation in American higher education, present a review of the literature, and provide recommendations for future research

Community engagement and vulnerability in infectious diseases:A systematic review and qualitative analysis of the literature

Background The global response to infectious diseases has seen a renewed interest in the use of community engagement to support research and relief efforts. From a perspective rooted in the social sciences, the concept of vulnerability offers an especially useful analytical frame for pursuing community engagement in a variety of contexts. However, few have closely examined the concept of vulnerability in community engagement efforts, leading to a need to better understand the various theories that underline the connections between the two. Method This literature review searched four databases (covering a total of 537 papers), resulting in 15 studies that analyze community engagement using a framing of vulnerability, broadly defined, in the context of an infectious disease, prioritizing historical and structural context and the many ways of constituting communities. Findings The review identified historical and structural factors such as trust in the health system, history of political marginalization, various forms of racism and discrimination, and other aspects of vulnerability that are part and parcel of the main challenges faced by communities. The review found that studies using vulnerability within community engagement share some important characteristics (e.g., focus on local history and structural factors) and identified a few theoretical avenues from the social sciences which integrate a vulnerability-informed approach in community engagement. Finally, the review proposes an approach that brings together the concepts of vulnerability and community engagement, prioritizing participation, empowerment, and intersectoral collaboration

Establishment of long - term vegetation monitoring plots in lowland and upland tropical rainforest, Fiji Islands

Long-Term Vegetation Monitoring Plots (LTVMP) provide vital information on the flora, vegetation ecology, ecosystem dynamics, climate change and anthropogenic impact on biodiversity. As part of the Pacific–Asia Biodiversity Transact (PABITRA) network, three longterm vegetation monitoring plots in lowland and upland tropical rain forest were established on the island of Viti Levu, Fiji Islands. The plots were established in the Wabu Forest Reserve and Sovi Basin, on the island of Viti Levu. Each monitoring plot consists of four 50m x 50m sub-plots. All trees greater than 10 cm in diameter at breast height were measured. The design of the LTVMPs and some of the ecological findings in the Wabu Forest Reserve are evaluated

Fijian sea krait behavior relates to fine - scale environmental heterogeneity in old - growth coastal forest: the importance of integrated land – sea management for protecting amphibious animals

The importance of terrestrial coastal ecosystems for maintaining healthy coral reef ecosystems remains understudied. Sea kraits are amphibious snakes that require healthy coral reefs for foraging, but little is known about their requirements of terrestrial habitats, where they slough their skin, digest prey, and breed. Using concurrent microclimate measurements and behavior surveys, we show that a small, topographically flat atoll in Fiji with coastal forest provides many microhabitats that relate to the behaviors of Yellow Lipped Sea Kraits, Laticauda colubrina. Microclimates were significantly related to canopy cover, leaf litter depth, and distance from the high-water mark (HWM). Sea kraits were almost exclusively observed in coastal forest within 30 m of the HWM. Sloughing of skins only occurred within crevices of mature or dying trees. Resting L. colubrina were significantly more likely to occur at locations with higher mean diurnal temperatures, lower leaf litter depths, and shorter distances from the HWM. On Leleuvia, behavior of L. colubrina therefore relates to environmental heterogeneity created by old-growth coastal forests, particularly canopy cover and crevices in mature and dead tree trunks. The importance of healthy coastal habitats, both terrestrial and marine, for L. colubrina suggests it could be a good flagship species for advocating integrated land-sea management. Furthermore, our study highlights the importance of coastal forests and topographically flat atolls for biodiversity conservation. Effective conservation management of amphibious species that utilize land- and seascapes is therefore likely to require a holistic approach that incorporates connectivity among ecosystems and environmental heterogeneity at all relevant scales

Urinary bisphenol A concentration and risk of future coronary artery disease in apparently healthy men and women

addresses: Epidemiology and Public Health Group, Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, Barrack Road, Exeter, United Kingdom. [email protected]: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tThe endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used in food and beverage packaging. Higher urinary BPA concentrations were cross-sectionally associated with heart disease in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004 and NHANES 2005-2006, independent of traditional risk factors.Medical Research Council UKCancer Research UKBritish Heart FoundationPeninsula Medical School, University of ExeterEuropean Regional Development FundEuropean Social Fund Convergence Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of ScillyNational Institute for Health Research Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Car

Relationship of bird richness, abundance and assemblage to the built environment in a small island tropical urban setting: a Suva, Fiji case study

There have been few studies investigating the relationship between the built environment and the status of bird distributions in small island tropical urban areas. We present a study investigating the relationship between bird species richness, abundance and assemblage to the built environment in Suva, Fiji. Field surveys were taken at 54 randomly selected sites throughout the city, stratified by three building density classes and the central business district (CBD). At each site bird counts were recorded, along with environmental data such as average building height, within a 150 m radius. Land-use information was obtained from screen digitized high-resolution satellite imagery within the same radius. Distance to undeveloped patches of land within the urban area was calculated using a GIS. Analysis of the effects of the built environment was carried out for all species, and for exotic and native species separately. Abundance of exotics was significantly higher in the central business district (CBD) than all other urban density classes, and significantly higher than natives in all other density classes. We found a negative relationship between native species richness and distance to undeveloped patches, but no relationship for exotics. Species assemblage was not related to urban density class. We conclude that the status of native and exotic bird species in Suva is similar to what has been found in urban areas in temperate climates, and conservation efforts should focus on minimizing the amount of heavily urbanized “core areas” and protecting undeveloped areas of forested vegetation to improve bird biodiversity in small tropical islands cities

'I would rather die': reasons given by 16-year-olds for not continuing their study of mathematics

Improving participation rates in specialist mathematics after the subject ceases to be compulsory at age 16 is part of government policy in England. This article provides independent and recent support for earlier findings concerning reasons for non- participation, based on free response and closed items in a questionnaire with a sample of over 1500 students in 17 schools, close to the moment of choice. The analysis supports findings that perceived difficulty and lack of confidence are important reasons for students not continuing with mathematics, and that perceived dislike and boredom, and lack of relevance, are also factors. There is a close relationship between reasons for non-participation and predicted grade, and a weaker relation to gender. An analysis of the effects of schools, demonstrates that enjoyment is the main factor differentiating schools with high and low participation indices. Building on discussion of these findings, ways of improving participation are briefly suggested

Notes

The ARLIS/NA Cataloging Advisory Committee has drafted these best practices to provide practical guidance to catalogers working with art exhibition publications. The guidelines are confined to cataloging issues and situations characteristic of this type of material; they are intended to be used with and are compatible with other cataloging documentation including Resource Description and Access (RDA) and LC-PCC Policy Statements and Metadata Guidance Documents. Examples have been given using the MARC21 format for consistency and familiarity, but MARC21 is not a prescribed or preferred schema. The order of notes in this document generally follows the WEMI framework but can be adjusted for local practice or when it has been decided that a particular note is of primary importance