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  Queer folklore: Examining the influence of fandom on sexual identity development and fluidity acceptance among Taylor Swift fans

  Dajches, Leah; Stevens Aubrey, Jennifer; Department of Communication, University of Arizona (American Psychological Association (APA), 2022-05-05)

  The present study fills a gap in the media entertainment and fan studies literatures with an exploration of media fandom in relation to fans’ sexual identity acceptance. Using a sample of Taylor Swift fans who identify as women (N = 771), we address how fans’ motivations, practices, and oppositional readings of Taylor Swift’s 2020 album, folklore, are related to their sexual identity development as well as their acceptance of fluidity in others’ sexual orientations. Results indicated that eudaimonic motivations to listen to folklore predicted bisexual, demisexual, and pansexual fans’ acceptance of others' sexual orientation fluidity. Further, we examined fans’ “queer shipping,” which occurs when fans imagine two same-gender media persons/characters to be in a romantic relationship. Queer shipping was positively related to fans’ sexual orientation fluiditiy acceptance, mainly through their oppositional reading of the album. Overall, our results differed by sexual identity group, with fan practices being consistently more predictive of sexual orientation fluidity acceptance among heterosexual women.
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  Looking to the stars: Validating the existence of para-couple relationships among emerging adults

  Dajches, Leah; Barbati, Juliana L.; Department of Communication, University of Arizona (American Psychological Association (APA), 2022-05-12)

  People obtain social information from the media - particularly when they lack real-world experience. This occurs most prominently among younger viewers who seek to learn about sexual and romantic interactions and relationships. This is due both to their lack of first-hand experience in these types of situations as well as the developmental stage they are experiencing (i.e., intimacy vs. isolation; Erikson, 1968). In light of this, we proposed a construct called para-couple relationships or long-term associations with a media couple that develop during viewing but endure beyond the media exposure situation. Across 2 studies, we created and validated a scale to capture para-couple relationships among emerging adults and tested this construct in relation to other developmentally related variables. Our results inform media entertainment and developmental research alike, in particular, as it relates to emerging adults’ relationships with media couples and their romantic and sexual socialization.
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  Feasibility and Efficacy of Partially Replacing Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide with Bendamustine in Pediatric and Young Adult Patients Undergoing Haploidentical Bone Marrow Transplantation

  Katsanis, Emmanuel; Stea, Baldassarre; Kovacs, Kristen; Truscott, Laurel; Husnain, Muhammad; Khurana, Sharad; Roe, Denise J; Simpson, Richard J; Department of Pediatrics, University of Arizona; Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona; et al. (Elsevier B.V., 2022-04-20)

  Post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PT-CY) is the most widely applied graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis regimen in T-cell replete haploidentical bone marrow transplantation (haplo-BMT). Although PT-CY has met with great success in the haplo-BMT arena by suppressing GVHD, patients without acute GVHD have high relapse rates. One strategy to reduce relapse rates being explored by others is a dosage reduction of PT-CY. We have taken a different approach in evaluating whether partially replacing PT-CY with post-transplantation bendamustine (PT-BEN) would be advantageous, an idea based on our preclinical research identifying several beneficial immunomodulatory properties of BEN. We therefore initiated and completed a Phase Ia trial to evaluate the progressive substitution of PT-CY with PT-BEN (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02996773). We compared outcomes between 13 patients with high-risk hematologic malignancies who received PT-CY/BEN and 31 contemporaneous haplo-BMT recipients treated with the same myeloablative conditioning regimens but receiving only PT-CY. We found that partial replacement of PT-CY with PT-BEN (PT-CY/BEN) on day +4 was well tolerated and associated with significantly earlier trilineage engraftment. We also report favorable trends toward significant improvements on univariate and multivariate analyses with PT-CY/BEN compared with PT-CY with respect to rates of chronic GVHD (hazard ratio [HR], .08; 95% confidence interval [CI], .005 to 1.11; P = .06), and GVHD-free relapse-free survival (GRFS) (HR, .22; 95% CI, .05 to .86; P = .039). Our human trial has now transitioned to Phase Ib, which will further evaluate the safety and potential benefits of PT-CY/BEN. Herein we also expand our pediatric, adolescent, and young adult experience to 31 patients, demonstrating overall survival, progression-free survival, and GRFS at 3 years of 85.6%, 76.1%, and 58.2%, respectively, in a largely racial/ethnic minority cohort. PT-CY/BEN appears to be a promising treatment option that requires further evaluation.
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  Scientific Value of Including an Atmospheric Sample as Part of Mars Sample Return (MSR)

  Swindle, Timothy D; Atreya, Sushil; Busemann, Henner; Cartwright, Julia A; Mahaffy, Paul; Marty, Bernard; Pack, Andreas; Schwenzer, Susanne P; University of Arizona, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (Mary Ann Liebert Inc., 2022-05-19)

  The Perseverance rover is meant to collect samples of the martian surface for eventual return to Earth. The headspace gas present over the solid samples within the sample tubes will be of significant scientific interest for what it reveals about the interactions of the solid samples with the trapped atmosphere and for what it will reveal about the martian atmosphere itself. However, establishing the composition of the martian atmosphere will require other dedicated samples. The headspace gas as the sole atmospheric sample is problematic for many reasons. The quantity of gas present within the sample tube volume is insufficient for many investigations, and there will be exchange between solid samples, headspace gas, and tube walls. Importantly, the sample tube materials and preparation were not designed for optimal Mars atmospheric gas collection and storage as they were not sent to Mars in a degassed evacuated state and have been exposed to both Earth's and Mars' atmospheres. Additionally, there is a risk of unconstrained seal leakage in transit back to Earth, which would allow fractionation of the sample (leak-out) and contamination (leak-in). The science return can be improved significantly (and, in some cases, dramatically) by adding one or more of several strategies listed here in increasing order of effectiveness and difficulty of implementation: (1) Having Perseverance collect a gas sample in an empty sample tube, (2) Collecting gas in a newly-designed, valved, sample-Tube-sized vessel that is flown on either the Sample Fetch Rover (SFR) or the Sample Retrieval Lander (SRL), (3) Adding a larger (50-100 cc) dedicated gas sampling volume to the Orbiting Sample container (OS), (4) Adding a larger (50-100 cc) dedicated gas sampling volume to the OS that can be filled with compressed martian atmosphere.
• Anti-human Trafficking Service Professionals in India: Challenges and Barriers to Service Provision

  Helpingstine, Claire E.; Stephens, Dionne P.; Madhivanan, Purnima; Health Promotion Sciences Department, University of Arizona (Informa UK Limited, 2022-05-10)

  Sex trafficking (ST) interventions in India typically follow the “three R’s”–rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration. Anti-human trafficking service organizations (AHTSOs) play an essential role in implementing the “three Rs,” influencing India’s anti-trafficking policy and aid for trafficking survivors. However, few investigations have explored AHTSOs professionals’ perceptions of their roles and the multilevel factors that influence their ability to address the needs of ST survivors in India. Thirteen Indian professionals participated in this study. Through the use of in-depth individual interviews, professionals discussed the challenges and barriers to their work. The findings of the study reflect that number of challenges and barriers faced by professionals when working with ST survivors included societal level factors such as ST stigma, apathy toward learning about ST, issues within the government and justice systems as well as distrust of AHTSOs and mistreatment of ST survivors. The results point to important areas of intervention to prevent the trafficking of girls and women in India, and further highlight the need for additional support for Indian professionals working with these survivors.

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