Predictors of Bachelor’s Degree Completion among Rural Students at Four-Year Institutions

Using the National Education Longitudinal Study, this study explored various factors that predicted bachelor’s degree attainment among rural youth attending a four-year institution. Results showed that Hispanic origin, family income, parental educational expectations, the rigor of the high school curriculum, timing and intensity of college enrollment, and participation in Greek social clubs were significant predictors. Gender, parental education, family structure, number of siblings, institutional features of college first attended, and participation in intramural athletics and student government were insignificant predictors. We discussed similarities and differences between rural and metro students in factors predicting bachelor’s degree completion

Rural-Nonrural Disparities in Postsecondary Educational Attainment Revisited

Using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study, this study revisited rural-nonrural disparities in educational attainment by considering a comprehensive set of factors that constrain and support youth's college enrollment and degree completion. Results showed that rural students were more advantaged in community social resources compared to nonrural students, and these resources were associated with a significant increase in the likelihood of bachelor's degree attainment. Yet results confirmed that rural students lagged behind nonrural students in attaining a bachelor's degree largely due to their lower socioeconomic background. The findings present a more comprehensive picture of the complexity of geographic residence in shaping college enrollment and degree attainment

GALEX Ultraviolet Photometry of Globular Clusters in M31

We present ultraviolet photometry for globular clusters (GCs) in M31 from 15 square deg of imaging using the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX). We detect 200 and 94 GCs with certainty in the near-ultraviolet (NUV; 1750 - 2750 Angstroms) and far-ultraviolet (FUV; 1350 - 1750 Angstroms) bandpasses, respectively. Our rate of detection is about 50% in the NUV and 23% in the FUV, to an approximate limiting V magnitude of 19. Out of six clusters with [Fe/H]>-1 seen in the NUV, none is detected in the FUV bandpass. Furthermore, we find no candidate metal-rich clusters with significant FUV flux, because of the contribution of blue horizontal-branch (HB) stars, such as NGC 6388 and NGC 6441, which are metal-rich Galactic GCs with hot HB stars. We show that our GALEX photometry follows the general color trends established in previous UV studies of GCs in M31 and the Galaxy. Comparing our data with Galactic GCs in the UV and with population synthesis models, we suggest that the age range of M31 and Galactic halo GCs are similar.Comment: This paper will be published as part of the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) Astrophysical Journal Letters Special Issue. Links to the full set of papers will be available at http://www.galex.caltech.edu/PUBLICATIONS/ after November 22, 200

The Role of Social Capital in Educational Aspirations of Rural Youth*: Educational Aspirations of Rural Youth

Drawing on a recent national survey of rural high school students, this study investigated the relationship between social capital and educational aspirations of rural youth. Results showed that various process features of family and school social capital were important to predict rural youth's educational aspirations beyond sociodemographic background. In particular, parents' and teachers' educational expectations for their child and student respectively were positively related to educational aspirations of rural youth. In addition, discussion with parents about college was positively related to educational aspirations of rural youth. On the other hand, there was little evidence to suggest that number of siblings and school proportions of students on free lunch and minority students are related to educational aspirations of rural youth, after controlling for the other variables. The authors highlight unique features of rural families, schools, and communities that may combine to explain the complexity of the role of social capital in shaping educational aspirations of rural youth

Educational Barriers of Rural Youth: Relation of Individual and Contextual Difference Variables

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation of several individual and contextual difference factors to the perceived educational barriers of rural youth. Data were from a broader national investigation of students’ postsecondary aspirations and preparation in rural high schools across the United States. The sample involved more than 7,000 rural youth in 73 high schools across 34 states. Results indicated that some individual (e.g., African American race/ethnicity) and contextual (e.g., parent education) difference factors were predictive while others were not. Extensions to, similarities, and variations with previous research are discussed. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are also discussed

Evaluation of familial phenotype deviation to measure the impact of de novo mutations in autism

Background: The phenotypic outcomes of de novo variants (DNVs) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit wide variability. To date, no study has comprehensively estimated DNV effects accounting for familial phenotypic background. Methods: To evaluate DNV effects in a family-relative context, we defined within-family standardized deviations (WFSD) by subtracting phenotype scores of unaffected family members and standardizing the result. We applied this approach to 78,685 individuals from 21,735 families from ASD cohorts of diverse ancestries. We compared the distribution, associations with disruptive DNVs, and gene discovery results between WFSD and raw phenotype scores. We further performed outlier analysis based on WFSDs per gene to detect genes with high variability between families. Results: We observed that ASD probands with disruptive DNVs exhibited greater behavioral symptoms and lower adaptive functioning relative to their within-family unaffected members. Compared to raw phenotype scores, WFSD provided clearer associations with DNVs and enabled greater yield in DNV-enriched gene discovery, including 18 novel ASD-associated genes. Outlier analysis identified 11 genes with high intrafamilial variability in phenotypic effects, influenced by mutation sites within functional domains or exons. Conclusions: Familial DNV analysis provides accurate effect estimates, a reliable basis for predicting clinical outcomes, and precise support while minimizing confounding from family background. This approach improves the identification of ASD-associated genes with true phenotypic effects by reducing variability, as well as genes with genuine phenotypic heterogeneity across families driven by mutation site. These findings enhance our understanding of ASD phenotype variability and inform potential targets for intervention

Gevab: a prototype genome variation analysis browsing server

Background: The first Korean individual diploid genome sequence data (KOREF) was publicized in December 2008. Results: A Korean genome variation analysis and browsing server (Gevab) was constructed as a database and web server for the exploration and downloading of Korean personal genome(s). Information in the Gevab includes SNPs, short indels, and structural variation (SV) and comparison analysis between the NCBI human reference and the Korean genome(s). The user can find information on assembled consensus sequences, sequenced short reads, genetic variations, and relationships between genotype and phenotypes. Conclusion: This server is openly and publicly available online at http://koreagenome.org/en/ or directly http://gevab.orgclose2

The Look-back Time Evolution of Far-UV Flux from Elliptical Galaxies: The Fornax Cluster and Abell 2670

In order to investigate the origin of the far-UV (FUV) flux from the early-type galaxies, Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) is collecting the UV data for the elliptical-rich clusters at moderate redshifts (z < 0.2) where the dominant FUV source is predicted to be hot horizontal-branch (HB) stars and their post-HB progeny. Here we present our first result for the early-type galaxies in Abell 2670 at z = 0.076. Compared to NGC 1399, a nearby giant elliptical galaxy in the Fornax cluster, it appears that the rest-frame FUV - V color of the giant ellipticals gets redder by ~ 0.7 mag at the distance of Abell 2670 (z = 0.076; look-back time ~ 1.0 Gyr). Although a detailed comparison with the models is postponed until more cluster data are accumulated, it is interesting to note that this value is consistent with the variation predicted by the population synthesis models where the mean temperature of HB stars declines rapidly with increasing look-back time.Comment: This paper will be published as part of the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) Astrophysical Journal Letters Special Issue. Links to the full set of papers will be available at http://www.galex.caltech.edu/PUBLICATIONS

Comparison of Monthly Ibandronate Versus Weekly Risedronate in Preference, Convenience, and Bone Turnover Markers in Korean Postmenopausal Osteoporotic Women

Patient preferences, convenience, and bone turnover markers were evaluated for the monthly ibandronate over the weekly risedronate regimen in Korean postmenopausal osteoporotic women. This was a 6-month, prospective, randomized, open-label, multicenter study with a two-period and two-sequence crossover treatment design. After a 30-day screening period, eligible participants with postmenopausal osteoporosis were randomized to receive either monthly oral ibandronate 150 mg for 3 months followed by weekly oral risedronate 35 mg for 12 weeks (sequence A) or the same regimen in reverse order (sequence B). Patient preference and convenience were evaluated by questionnaire. The changes in serum C-telopeptide after 3 months of treatment were analyzed. A total of 365 patients were enrolled in this study (sequence A 182, sequence B 183). Of patients expressing a preference (83.4%), 74.8% preferred the monthly ibandronate regimen over the weekly regimen (25.2%). More women stated that the monthly ibandronate regimen was more convenient (84.2%) than the weekly regimen (15.8%). There was no significant difference in the change in bone turnover marker between the two treatments. The two regimens were similarly tolerable. There were fewer adverse events in the monthly ibandronate group compared to the weekly risedronate group in terms of gastrointestinal side effects (nausea and abdominal distension). This study revealed a strong preference and convenience for monthly ibandronate over weekly risedronate in Korean postmenopausal osteoporotic women. There was no significant difference in change of bone turnover marker and safety profile between the two regimens