College choice and choice of major are the most important decisions for future earnings. It is still unclear, however, what makes a greater difference—college or major—or whether a choice of college matters more for some majors, but not the others. Using cross-classified models and College Scorecard data, I show that a discipline is more consequential for future earnings than a college. The effect of STEM is substantial but is less pronounced at institutions with higher overall median earnings. The effect of college selectivity on earnings is more pronounced for non-STEM disciplines. Institutional characteristics—such as tuition, shares of graduates receiving different forms of financial aid, institutional size and location, and type of college—correlate with earnings of graduates. Racial and gender composition of an educational program correlate with expected earnings of its graduates even after control for other institutional and disciplinary characteristics. Models presented here provide a better understanding of the effect of college and major choices on future earnings.

As a reversible post-transcriptional modification, N6-methyladeno sine is the most common form of RNA modification in eukaryotic mRNA. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are a subpopulation of cells with self-renewal ability and differentiation potential, have been regarded to be one of the roots of tumor occurrence, recurrence, and metastasis. Currently, numerous studies have demonstrated that m6A RNA modification is critically implicated in the regulation of CSCs stemness or the CSC-like traits of cancer cells. This review summarized the effects of m6A RNA modification-related enzymes and underlying mechanisms contributing to CSCs or cancer cell stemness, which may provide novel targets and research directions for the specifical elimination of CSCs or cancer cells with stemness.

This study underscores the chronic issue of gender pay disparity that prevails across different STEM fields and educational qualification levels in Australia. Despite instances where women's incomes may align or even surpass men's, the broader pattern of inequality remains undeniable. The study advocates for targeted strategies to address gender pay gaps, particularly in fields like Engineering and Science, and emphasises the significance of cultivating inclusive work environments that recognise and reward contributions regardless of gender. This study serves as a critical call to action to rectify these inequities and promote a more balanced and equitable STEM landscape.

The very nature of work, labor market composition, and skill requirements are severely affected by technology-driven transformations currently underway with the 4^th industrial revolution (4IR). The effect of 4IR technologies on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and the contribution of TVET to the labor market is explicit. The paper presents the findings of a study that investigated whether TVET institutions are prepared to face the challenges of 4IR. The data for the study were collected by surveying 428 teachers from 15 countries in Asia and the Pacific engaged in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields at the tertiary level. The findings of our study undoubtedly bring greater attention to the initiatives of TVET in these countries in preparing the workforce for job roles necessitated in the 4IR. The findings can also be used to frame policy recommendations for the growth of economies.

This paper evaluates the use of macro-level insurance to finance post-disaster recovery and reinstatement by investigating the case of the National Disaster Insurance policy implemented by Sri Lanka. The national scheme provided cover for all properties in the country against hazards such as flooding and provided compensation for those affected. Analysis of secondary data obtained from the organisations that managed the scheme showed that the scheme has delivered a much higher return compared to the total insurance premium paid, suggesting that the scheme has delivered a net positive benefit compared to the cost of the premium and can be considered a viable option. However, the existing secondary data did not reveal the values of other costs and indirect benefits associated with the scheme to compute a meaningful benefit-to-cost ratio. Further rigorous, evidence-based cost-benefit analysis is required to assess the cost-effectiveness of a scheme of this nature. A cost-benefit analysis approach based on an analytical hierarchy process is proposed as a possible solution to assess the cost-effectiveness of the scheme, which could be used by government organisations as an alternative, where analytical and research resources may be limited, to evaluate a range of disaster recovery financing options using stakeholder opinion.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 85% of all lung cancers, and lung adenocarcinoma is the most common NSCLC. Most patients with lung cancer eventually lead to local and metastatic recurrence, including many patients who have completely removed the primary tumor during surgery and have no noticeable metastasis. There are two different deoxynucleotide triphosphate (dNTP) libraries in eukaryotic cells. The de novo synthesis of dNTPs in the cytoplasm is coordinated with the cell cycle and reaches a peak in the S phase, thereby providing deoxynucleotides for the replication of genomic DNA. In contrast, the mitochondrial pool of dNTPs is maintained through the mitochondrial deoxynucleoside rescue pathway throughout the cell cycle and is essential for mtDNA replication. Mitochondria are vital cell powers in assimilation and catabolism. Oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) of mitochondria is essential for the self-renewal of cancer stem-like cells in lung cancer, glioblastoma and leukemia. Thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) and deoxyguanosine kinase (DGUOK) are two mitochondrial deoxynucleoside kinases, which are responsible for the transport of pyrimidine and purine deoxynucleoside in mitochondria. Apoptosis and autophagy are important processes that regulate cell proliferation and death in normal cells and cancer cells. Inducing cancer cell apoptosis and autophagy is an effective means to treat malignant tumors. This review discusses the research progress of the relationship between mitochondrial deoxyguanosine kinase and lung adenocarcinoma cell apoptosis and autophagy.