The influence of peers on fraternity behaviors : the role of social norming and masculinity

College drinking has been identified as one of the most serious problems on college campuses, and Greek organizations, specifically fraternities, are often identified as groups with particularly excessive alcohol use (O'Brien, McNamara, McCoy, Sutfin, Wolfson and Rhodes, 2013). The peer influence of brothers in fraternities has been identified as the greatest influence on drinking behaviors for members of those organizations (Borsari and Carey, 2003). Shaped by assumptions about what it means to be masculine boys and men will conform to the expectations of their peers by engaging in behaviors and expressing attitudes that are actually contradictory to what they truly believe in order to be accepted (Pollack, 2000). Thus, better understanding of how social norms play a role in a fraternity member's drinking behaviors is important for universities, prevention specialists, and student affairs practitioners in order to address excessive and binge drinking. The theoretical frameworks used throughout this study are theories of social norms and masculinities and allowed for the examination the role peers play in influencing drinking behaviors of fraternity men at a large, public institution in the Midwest (The University of Missouri or Mizzou). A qualitative case study methodology was employed to collect data from participants via a focus group and individual follow up interviews. From this, four overarching themes developed: (1) to be a brother, (2) competition, (3) liquid bonding, and (4) what it means to be a man. Within the context of the study, implications for practice and recommendations for additional research are included

Einstellung zum Alkoholkonsum und Motivation zur Veränderung des Trinkverhaltens bei Schwangeren- Eine Validierung des Transtheoretischen Modells der Verhaltensänderung

Ziel dieser Studie war es, die Motivation von schwangeren Frauen zum Alkoholverzicht zu untersuchen. Ebenso sollte die Anwendbarkeit des Transtheoretischen Modells der Verhaltensänderung auf das Problemverhalten des Alkoholkonsums in der Schwangerschaft überprüft werden. Weitere Fragestellungen befassten sich mit dem Vergleich des Alkoholkonsums von Frauen, die sich in Familienstand, Ausbildungsstand und Rauchverhalten unterschieden. Es handelt sich um eine Querschnittstudie, in der Frauen aus 5 gynäkologischen Arztpraxen während eines Besuches bei ihrem Gynäkologen ein Fragebogen vorgelegt wurde. Insgesamt 256 Schwangere zwischen der 3. und 40. Schwangerschaftswoche nahmen an der Befragung teil. Ihr Alter betrug im Durchschnitt 29,9 Jahre (SD 5,6). Erstgebärende waren 145 Frauen, weitere 79 Frauen waren in ihrer zweiten Schwangerschaft und nur wenige Teilnehmerinnen waren in ihrer dritten, vierten oder fünften Schwangerschaft. 1. Die Dimensionalität der Konstrukte des TTM, wie sie in vorhergehenden Untersuchungen gefunden wurde, kann im Wesentlichen bestätigt werden. 2. Die Gütekriterien der zur Operationalisierung der Konstrukte verwendeten Skalen sind befriedigend. 3. Einen Alkoholkonsum während der Schwangerschaft geben 44 % aller Teilnehmerinnen an. Der durchschnittliche Alkoholkonsum beträgt 0,5 (SD = 0,95) alkoholischen Getränke bei einem Anlass während der letzten 30 Tage, wobei ein Maximalwert von 5 Getränken bei einem Anlass berichtet wird. Auf die Frage nach der Anzahl der Tage, an denen während der letzten 10 Tage ein alkoholisches Getränk getrunken wurde, geben die Teilnehmerinnen einen Mittelwert von 1,3 (SD = 0,63) Tagen an, das Maximum beträgt 5 Tage. Zur Frage nach der Anzahl der Anlässe, an denen seit Beginn der Schwangerschaft ein alkoholisches Getränk getrunken wurde, zeigt sich ein Mittelwert von 2,1 (SD = 1,7) Anlässen mit einem Maximalwert von mehr als 20 Anlässen. Sechs Frauen geben einen maximalen Alkoholkonsum von 4 oder mehr Getränken bei einem Anlass an. 4. Es zeigt sich ein signifikant höherer Alkoholkonsum bei unverheirateten Schwangeren im Vergleich zu Verheirateten. 5. Einen signifikant höheren Alkoholkonsum geben Frauen mit Universitätsabschluss und Frauen in Führungspositionen an. 6. Raucherinnen trinken während der Schwangerschaft nicht mehr Alkohol als Nichtraucherinnen

Regular and Irregular Boundary Conditions in the AdS/CFT Correspondence

We expand on Klebanov and Witten's recent proposal for formulating the AdS/CFT correspondence using irregular boundary conditions. The proposal is shown to be correct to any order in perturbation theory.Comment: 7 pages, typos correcte

Deriving Boltzmann Equations from Kadanoff-Baym Equations in Curved Space-Time

To calculate the baryon asymmetry in the baryogenesis via leptogenesis scenario one usually uses Boltzmann equations with transition amplitudes computed in vacuum. However, the hot and dense medium and, potentially, the expansion of the universe can affect the collision terms and hence the generated asymmetry. In this paper we derive the Boltzmann equation in the curved space-time from (first-principle) Kadanoff-Baym equations. As one expects from general considerations, the derived equations are covariant generalizations of the corresponding equations in Minkowski space-time. We find that, after the necessary approximations have been performed, only the left-hand side of the Boltzmann equation depends on the space-time metric. The amplitudes in the collision term on the right--hand side are independent of the metric, which justifies earlier calculations where this has been assumed implicitly. At tree level, the matrix elements coincide with those computed in vacuum. However, the loop contributions involve additional integrals over the the distribution function.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, extended discussion of the constraint equations and the solution for the spectral functio

Instabilities in Josephson Ladders with Current Induced Magnetic Fields

We report on a theoretical analysis, consisting of both numerical and analytic work, of the stability of synchronization of a ladder array of Josephson junctions under the influence of current induced magnetic fields. Surprisingly, we find that as the ratio of the mutual to self inductance of the cells of the array is increased a region of unstable behavior occurs followed by reentrant stable synchronization. Analytic work tells us that in order to understand fully the cause of the observed instabilities the behavior of the vertical junctions, sometimes ignored in analytic analyses of ladder arrays, must be taken into account.Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages, 3 figure

A European Database of Fusarium graminearum and F-culmorum Trichothecene Genotypes

Fusarium species, particularly Fusarium graminearum and F culmorum, are the main cause of trichothecene type B contamination in cereals. Data on the distribution of Fusarium trichothecene genotypes in cereals in Europe are scattered in time and space. Furthermore, a common core set of related variables (sampling method, host cultivar, previous crop, etc.) that would allow more effective analysis of factors influencing the spatial and temporal population distribution, is lacking. Consequently, based on the available data, it is difficult to identify factors influencing chemotype distribution and spread at the European level. Here we describe the results of a collaborative integrated work which aims (1) to characterize the trichothecene genotypes of strains from three Fusarium species, collected over the period 2000-2013 and (2) to enhance the standardization of epidemiological data collection. Information on host plant, country of origin, sampling location, year of sampling and previous crop of 1147 F graminearurn, 479 F culmorum, and 3 F cortaderiae strains obtained from 17 European countries was compiled and a map of trichothecene type B genotype distribution was plotted for each species. All information on the strains was collected in a freely accessible and updatable database (www.catalogueeu.luxmcc.lu), which will serve as a starting point for epidemiological analysis of potential spatial and temporal trichothecene genotype shifts in Europe. The analysis of the currently available European dataset showed that in F. grarninearum, the predominant genotype was 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON) (82.9%), followed by 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON) (13.6%), and nivalenol (NIV) (3.5%). In F culmorum, the prevalent genotype was 3-ADON (59.9%), while the NIV genotype accounted for the remaining 40.1%. Both, geographical and temporal patterns of trichothecene genotypes distribution were identified.Ministere de l'Agriculture, de la Viticulture et de la Protection des Consommateurs-Administration des Services Techniques de l'Agriculture; M.I.U.R. Project AGROGEN (Laboratory of GENomics for traits of AGROnomic importance in durum wheat: Identification of useful genes, functional analysis and assisted selection by biological markers for the development of the national seed chain) [602/Ric]; Felix Thornley Cobbold Trust; John Oldacre Foundation; Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech RepublicMinistry of Agriculture, Czech Republic [800415]; Spanish Ministry MINECOSpanish Government [AGL201.4-53928-C2-2-R]; Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Norway; Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (GABI-KANADA), BonnFederal Ministry of Education & Research (BMBF) [FKZ 0313711A]; German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), BonnDeutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD) [A/06/92183]; Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; Direction Generale de l'Agriculture, Direction de la Recherche [D31-3159, D31-1162, D31-7055]; P.O.R. SARDEGNA F.S.; Danish Directorate for Food, Fisheries and Agri Business [FFS05-3]; Academy of FinlandAcademy of Finland [126917, 131957, 250904, 252162, 267188, 266984]; Olvi Foundation; Turku University Foundation; CIMO travel grant; Nordic network project New Emerging Mycotoxins and Secondary Metabolites in Toxigenic Fungi of Northern Europe - Nordic Research Board [090014]The Luxembourg institute of Science and Technology, LU, acknowledges the Ministere de l'Agriculture, de la Viticulture et de la Protection des Consommateurs-Administration des Services Techniques de l'Agriculture for financially supporting the Sentinelle project. The work on Italian strains has been financially supported through the M.I.U.R. Project AGROGEN (Laboratory of GENomics for traits of AGROnomic importance in durum wheat: Identification of useful genes, functional analysis and assisted selection by biological markers for the development of the national seed chain) (D. D. 14.03.2005 n. 602/Ric). Funding for the research of Ryan Basler was provided by Felix Thornley Cobbold Trust and the John Oldacre Foundation.; The work of JC was supported by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic, Project No. 800415. The research of MG and PG was supported by the Spanish Ministry MINECO (AGL201.4-53928-C2-2-R). The Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Norway funded the work of IH. The research of TM was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (GABI-KANADA #FKZ 0313711A), Bonn and by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Bonn (code no.: A/06/92183). PP acknowledges the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for funding the project FinMyco on Fusarium and mycotoxins in Finland. The research of JS was funded by the Direction Generale de l'Agriculture, Direction de la Recherche (ref. D31-3159, D31-1162, D31-7055), in the framework of a project entitled Caracterization et dynamique des fusarioses sur mais en Region Wallonne. BS acknowledges support by P.O.R. SARDEGNA F.S.E. 2007-2013-Obiettivo competitivita regionale e occupazione, Asse IV Capitale umano, Linea di Attivita 1.3.1 (research project Identification of natural and natural-like molecules inhibiting mycotoxin biosynthesis by Fusaria pathogenic on cereals). UT thanks the Danish Directorate for Food, Fisheries and Agri Business grant FFS05-3 for financial support. The work of TY was financially supported by the Academy of Finland (no. 126917, 131957, 250904, 252162, 267188, and 266984), Olvi Foundation, Turku University Foundation, a CIMO travel grant to Taha Hussien, and the Nordic network project New Emerging Mycotoxins and Secondary Metabolites in Toxigenic Fungi of Northern Europe (project 090014), which was funded by the Nordic Research Board

Direct and long-range action of a DPP morphogen gradient.

During development of the Drosophila wing, the decapentaplegic (dpp) gene is expressed in a stripe of cells along the anteroposterior compartment boundary and gives rise to a secreted protein that exerts a long-range organizing influence on both compartments. Using clones of cells that express DPP, or in which DPP receptor activity has been constitutively activated or abolished, we show that DPP acts directly and at long range on responding cells, rather than by proxy through the short-range induction of other signaling molecules. Further, we show that two genes, optomotor-blind and spalt are transcriptionally activated at different distances from DPP-secreting cells and provide evidence that these genes respond to different threshold concentrations of DPP protein. We propose that DPP acts as a gradient morphogen during wing development

Mouse hepatitis virus neurovirulence: evidence of a linkage between S glycoprotein expression and immunopathology.

Differences in disease outcome between the highly neurovirulent MHV-JHM and mildly neurovirulent MHV-A59 have been attributed to variations within the spike (S) glycoprotein. Previously, we found that MHV-JHM neurovirulence was marked by diminished expression of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) mRNA and a reduced presence of CD8 T cells in the CNS concomitant with heightened macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1 transcript levels and greater macrophage infiltration relative to MHV-A59 infection. Here, the ability of the S and non-spike genes to regulate these immune responses was evaluated using chimeric viruses. Chimeric viruses WTR13 and S4R22 were made on MHV-A59 variant backgrounds and, respectively, contained the S gene of MHV-A59 and MHV-JHM. Unexpectedly, genes other than S appeared to modulate events critical to viral replication and survival. Unlike unresolving MHV-JHM infections, the clearance of WTR13 and S4R22 infections coincided with strong IFN-gamma transcription and an increase in the number of CD8 T cells infiltrating into the CNS. However, despite the absence of detectable viral titers, approximately 40% of S4R22-infected mice succumbed within 3 weeks, indicating that the enhanced mortality following S4R22 infection was not associated with high viral titers. Instead, similar to the MHV-JHM infection, reduced survival following S4R22 infection was observed in the presence of elevated MIP-1alpha and MIP-1beta mRNA accumulation and enhanced macrophage numbers within infected brains. These observations suggest that the S protein of MHV-JHM influences neurovirulence through the induction of MIP-1alpha- and MIP-1beta-driven macrophage immunopathology