GUN ACCESS AND FEMICIDE: A DIFFERENTIAL IMPACT OF FIREARMS ON INTIMATE KILLINGS

Studies of intimate partner homicide have repeatedly suggested that gun accessibility increases the risk that a confrontation between intimates will end in the death of one partner, usually the woman. In the larger arena of gun accessibility research, experts have posited opposing conclusions about how gun accessibility affects the risk of homicide in the population overall. This thesis is an attempt to build a bridge between literature linking gun access to increased intimate partner homicide and literature exploring the affect of gun availability on homicide in general. Based on previous research, the current study poses the following hypotheses: (I) Gun accessibility is a stronger predictor of intimate partner homicide than non-intimate partner homicide and (II) Gun accessibility is a stronger predictor of intimate partner homicide of women than intimate partner homicide of men. My analysis is consistent with hypothesis II but offers no support for hypothesis I

An Experimental Evaluation of After School Program Participation on Problem Behavior Outcomes: Does Pre-Existing Risk Moderate the Effects of Program Participation?

Background: Some prevention programs negatively affect participants. Previous research indicates that peers can cause these negative effects. However, little is known about which students may be most vulnerable to negative peer effects in prevention interventions. Purpose: This study tests the effect of participation in an after-school program (ASP) on student outcomes of peer delinquency, problem behavior and antisocial attitudes and beliefs for students of differing pre-test levels of risk for those outcomes. Drawing on social learning theory, this study examines whether low- and moderate- risk students in the intervention are more likely to acquire delinquent behaviors and beliefs in the ASP than their already-delinquent counterparts. Participants: 447 middle school students attending underperforming schools in Baltimore County, Maryland. Intervention: The data are drawn from an experimental evaluation of an after school program which operated in five middle schools in Baltimore County during the 2006-2007 academic year. The overall evaluation of the program found null effects on the wide range of measured outcomes (including academic achievement and delinquency). I explore whether the lack of beneficial program effects is partially attributable to negative effects among low and moderate risk participants who absorbed negative beliefs and behaviors from high-risk peers in the ASP. Research Design: Randomized, controlled field trial. Findings: Results indicate that low- and moderate- risk youth are not more likely to experience negative outcomes than high-risk youths. On the contrary, low-risk participants are less likely to experience negative effects than high-risk participants. Students who began the program with elevated negative peer influences grew in this characteristic if they often participated in the ASP but declined in negative peer influences if they less often attended the program. Implications for universal prevention are discussed

Genetic Factors Associated with Thermal Tolerance in Grow-finish Pigs as Measured by Feeding Behavior

The objectives of this study were: one, use electronic monitoring to determine feeding behavior patterns of grow-finish pigs throughout the year and to identify changes that occurred during heat stress events, and second, identify genetic markers associated with changes in feeding behavior due to heat stress. Pigs were placed in a grow-finish barn at approximately eight to ten weeks of age in 6 pens of 40 animals and monitored for 4-months. Gilts and barrows were from three different sire breeds, Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire. Each pen had one feeder, designed to feed 5 animals at a time. Feeders were fitted with an antenna and a multiplexer. Data were collected from antennas every 20 seconds. Outside temperature and humidity were obtained from a National Weather Station and used to calculate temperature humidity index (THI). Days in the study were partitioned into groups based on their maximum temperature humidity index (THI), where a THI less than 23.33°C was classified as “Normal”, a THI between 23.33°C and 26.11°C was classified as “Alert”, a THI between 26.11°C and 28.88°C was classified as “Danger”, and a THI greater than 28.88°C was classified as “Emergency”. Feeding behavioral differences among breeds and sex were observed across all THI categories. Landrace-sired pigs had fewer feeder visits compared to Duroc- and Yorkshire-sired pigs. Gilts had fewer feeder visits than barrows in all THI categories. A genome-wide association study for an animal’s change in feeding behavior between different THI categories was also conducted. Heritabilities for the difference in a pig’s feeder visits between each of the THI categories were low to moderate (0.136 to 0.406). Greater than 71% of genetic variation was explained by regions within eight chromosomes in the comparison between Danger and Emergency THI. Biological processes related to sensory perception and detection of chemical stimuli were over-represented in the set of genes located in these regions. Differences in feeding behavior patterns between THI categories demonstrate that heat stress affects sire breeds and sexes differently. Also genetic markers identified in this study may facilitate genetic selection for improved grow-finish performance during elevated ambient temperatures

Virtually Standing Up or Standing By? Correlates of Enacting Social Control Online

Research has consistently established the robustness of the bystander effect, or the tendency of individuals to not intervene on behalf of others in emergency situations. This study examines the bystander effect in an online setting, focusing on factors that lead individuals to intervene, and therefore enact informal social control, on behalf of others who are being targeted by hate material. To address this question, we use an online survey (N=647) of youth and young adults recruited from a demographically balanced sample of Americans. Results demonstrate that the enactment of social control is positively affected by the existence of strong offline and online social bonds, collective efficacy, prior victimization, self-esteem, and an aversion for the hate material in question. Additionally, the amount of time that individuals spend online affects their likelihood of intervention. These findings provide important insights into the processes that underlie informal social control and begin to bridge the gap in knowledge between social control in the physical and virtual realms

A Critique of Automated Approaches to Code Facial Expressions: What Do Researchers Need to Know?

Facial expression recognition software is becoming more commonly used by affective scientists to measure facial expressions. Although the use of this software has exciting implications, there are persistent and concerning issues regarding the validity and reliability of these programs. In this paper, we highlight three of these issues: biases of the programs against certain skin colors and genders; the common inability of these programs to capture facial expressions made in non-idealized conditions (e.g., “in the wild”); and programs being forced to adopt the underlying assumptions of the specific theory of emotion on which each software is based. We then discuss three directions for the future of affective science in the area of automated facial coding. First, researchers need to be cognizant of exactly how and on which data sets the machine learning algorithms underlying these programs are being trained. In addition, there are several ethical considerations, such as privacy and data storage, surrounding the use of facial expression recognition programs. Finally, researchers should consider collecting additional emotion data, such as body language, and combine these data with facial expression data in order to achieve a more comprehensive picture of complex human emotions. Facial expression recognition programs are an excellent method of collecting facial expression data, but affective scientists should ensure that they recognize the limitations and ethical implications of these programs

New Marker of Colon Cancer Risk Associated with Heme Intake: 1,4-Dihydroxynonane Mercapturic Acid

Background: Red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of colon cancer. Animal studies show that heme, found in red meat, promotes preneoplastic lesions in the colon, probably due to the oxidative properties of this compound. End products of lipid peroxidation, such as 4-hydroxynonenal metabolites or 8-iso-prostaglandin-F2 (8-iso-PGF2), could reflect this oxidative process and could be used as biomarkers of colon cancer risk associated with heme intake. Methods: We measured urinary excretion of 8-iso-PGF2 and 1,4-dihydroxynonane mercapturic acid (DHN-MA), the major urinary metabolite of 4-hydroxynonenal, in three studies. In a short-term and a carcinogenesis long-term animal study, we fed rats four different diets (control, chicken, beef, and blood sausage as a high heme diet). In a randomized crossover human study, four different diets were fed (a 60 g/d red meat baseline diet, 120 g/d red meat, baseline diet supplemented with heme iron, and baseline diet supplemented with non-heme iron). Results: DHN-MA excretion increased dramatically in rats fed high heme diets, and the excretion paralleled the number of preneoplastic lesions in azoxymethane initiated rats (P < 0.0001). In the human study, the heme supplemented diet resulted in a 2-fold increase in DHN-MA (P < 0.001). Urinary 8-iso-PGF2 increased moderately in rats fed a high heme diet (P < 0.0001), but not in humans. Conclusion: Urinary DHN-MA is a useful noninvasive biomarker for determining the risk of preneoplastic lesions associated with heme iron consumption and should be further investigated as a potential biomarker of colon cancer risk. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(11):2274–9

The Native American Community in Multnomah County: An Unsettling Profile

This report is the result of three years of work of true partnership between the Native American community, the Coalition of Communities of Color and Portland State University. The Portland Indian Leaders’ Roundtable, an alliance of 28 local Native American organizations, tribal organizations and Native focused programs within larger institutions, took a lead role in the implementation of the Native American research. Elders of the community reviewed the work and provided invaluable knowledge and historical context. Our main priority is to advocate for policy decisions that improve outcomes for the Native American community. We hold institutional reform and the formation of a powerful racial equity advocacy coalition as central to improving outcomes. This report builds an important knowledge base from which to advocate and to educate. Educating our community and the community at large about the Native American community is crucial to achieving racial equity

The Latino Community in Multnomah County: An Unsettling Profile

Our report, The Latino Community in Multnomah County: An Unsettling Profile uncovers an array of racial inequities across the systems of income, employment, education, juvenile justice, corrections, child welfare, philanthropic giving, housing, immigration, research practices (particularly population measurement), wealth, health, health insurance coverage, racial harassment, public service and voter registration. These systems maintain our second-class status and serve to limit our current well being and the prospects for a bright future for our children

Building the Case for Culturally Specific P-3 Strategies in Oregon: Listening to Voices From the Field

Oregon’s early learning and K-12 systems require transformative changes to address racial disparities in school readiness and success. Prenatal-through-Grade-3 (P-3) initiatives are an innovative way to align, strengthen and expand supports for this goal. Culturally specific organizations (CSOs) are uniquely poised and expertly prepared to meet the needs of communities of color while helping Oregon achieve its goals for reducing disparities in kinder­garten readiness and other educational outcomes. The proposed Early Childhood Equity Fund, which is included in the governor’s recommended 2019 budget, would move Oregon closer to eliminating the opportunity gap in kindergarten readiness and school success by investing in culturally specific early learning and family support programs and allocating more resources to CSOs that are imple­menting school readiness strategies

When is Affect Variability Bad for Health? The Association between Affect Variability and Immune Response to the Influenza Vaccination

Objectives—This study addresses methodological and theoretical questions about the association between affect and physical health. Specifically, we examine the role of affect variability and its interaction with mean levels of affect to predict antibody (Ab) levels in response to an influenza vaccination. Methods—Participants (N = 83) received the vaccination and completed daily diary measures of affect four times a day for 13 days. At one and four months post-vaccination, blood was collected from the participants to assess Ab levels. Results—Findings indicate that affect variability and its interaction with mean levels of affect predict an individual’s immune response. Those high in mean positive affect (PA) who had more PA variability were more likely to have a lower Ab response in comparison to those who had high mean PA and less PA variability. Although it did not interact with mean negative affect (NA), NA variability on its own was associated with Ab response, whereby those with less NA variability mounted a more robust immune response. Conclusion—Affect variability is related to immune response to an influenza vaccination and, in some cases, interacts with mean levels of affect. These oscillations in affective experiences are critical to consider in order to unpack the intricacies of how affect influences health. These findings suggest that future researchers should consider the important role of affect variability on physical health-relevant outcomes as well as examine the moderating effect of mean affect levels