Examining Social Desirability Bias in Measures of Financial Behavior

Surveys that investigate the financial lives of consumers consist of direct questions about financial behavior, with college students being a heavily surveyed and convenient sample (Gutter 2013). However, the subjective nature of survey data is not bias-free, indicated by the presence of disparities between the respondents\u27 reported and actual behavior. Due to the fact that many students begin to acquire loans, establish credit, and initiate saving behaviors in college, it is important that we have a complete understanding the financial behavior of college students. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of socially desirable responding (SDR) in responses to survey questions to better understand students\u27 financial behavior. Using survey data collected from students at a Mid-western university, this study employed an indirect questioning method using scenarios. The study compared direct and indirect reporting of financial behaviors and attitudes in the following three areas: saving, credit cards, and loans, to determine the relationship between the direct and indirect responses with a measure of socially desirable responding. Findings showed that students with more disagreement between direct and indirect reports of credit card behavior scored higher on the social desirability measure. Furthermore, the study showed that greater differences between direct and indirect reports of saving and spending behaviors were significantly related to higher scores on the measure of socially desirable responding. This demonstrates that the use of indirect questioning can highlight and may reduce biased responses in future measures of financial behavior

A multi technique characterisation approach to the analysis of polymers and biomaterials

A multi technique characterisation approach is vital for the full understanding of a material and its properties. Through combining predominantly solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), wide-angle (WAXS), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Raman spectroscopy, four different systems have been investigated. The importance of the development of biopolymers cannot be understated, polylactide (PLA) is one such biopolymer that has a lot of focus due to its wide range of end uses through tailoring it’s physical properties. The characteristics and behaviour of PLA pre and post processing has been investigated. The degradation of four PLA samples with different ratios of D- and L- polylactide (PDLA/PLLA) has been tracked over the course of a year using the aforementioned techniques. The long range order does not change over the course of a year for all of the samples. There is however a potential rearrangement of the PLA helix but without an overall change in mobility. The end product PLA materials were injection moulded and underwent tensile and impact testing. Two different mould temperatures were applied to investigate the difference between amorphous and crystalline products of the same starting composition. Additionally, the effect of nucleating agents has been investigated by the incorporation of talc. The crystalline products resulted in strong materials, with the addition of talc resulting in the introduction of crystalline regions even at low mould temperatures increasing the strength of the materials. The multi technique approach has also been applied to a series of polyester and polyamide elastomers with a range of cis:trans ratios. The Young’s modulus is an important characteristic of any elastomer and is affected by crystallinity which in turn is influenced by the cis:trans ratio. The Young’s modulus for the polyesters increases with a greater cis content directly matching the increase in T1ρ times. This confirmed that an increase in crystallinity and a consequent decrease in molecular mobility increases the Young’s modulus. The effect of cis:trans ratio on polyamides is less pronounced than for the polyesters. The molecular weight has also been investigated and found to have little difference between ‘oligomers’ and ‘polymers’. Finally, an additional technique, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) has been implemented for the analysis of coper doped calcium phosphate bioactive glasses. Copper is incorporated into bioactive glass structures as Cu+ and Cu2+. The combination of solid state NMR, EPR and Raman spectroscopy allows for the determination of how each of the Cu species incorporates into the bioactive glass network. Increasing the copper doping, even up to ~ 20 % copper, results in a continuous incorporation of Cu ions without saturation. There is no net depolymerisation of the bioactive glass network due to two competing processes. These are Cu+ forming CuO chain ends and Cu2+ ions forming linear arrangements causing repolymerisation. The Cu2+ ions can also form tetragonally distorted octahedral coordination between phosphate chains

Dissertations in CACREP-Accredited Counseling Doctoral Programs: An Initial Investigation

Faculty in 38 CACREP-accredited doctoral programs in the US described their dissertation products over the last three years, composition of their dissertation committees, and their satisfaction ratings with dissertation products and processes. Results indicated traditional dissertation formats were predominant. Over half (54%) of completed dissertations were quantitative and 40% were qualitative. Committees typically included two or three counselor educators and at least one outside faculty member. Faculty were modestly satisfied with dissertations, citing the need for more rigor and consistency of standards. Higher satisfaction was related to committee composition as well as the use of a variety of research methods

Evaluation of Mare’s Milk Composition and Quality during Lactation

Our objective was to evaluate changes in the composition and quality of mare’s milk throughout lactation. Milk samples were obtained from fifteen mares immediately after foaling, and then once weekly from the first week of lactation up until the second through eighth week depending on the foaling date of each mare. Samples averaging 3 mL for colostrum samples, 3 mL for weekly sampling thereafter, and 2 oz. for DHI milk composition analysis, were collected after each teat was disinfected with a cotton ball that was moistened with 70% ethanol. Each 3 mL sample was examined for microbial growth via the application of approximately 0.1 mL milk sample on ¼ of a blood agar culture plate which was then incubated for 24 to 48 hours before being analyzed. Each 2 oz. sample was analyzed for fat, protein, lactose, milk urea nitrogen, and somatic cell count. The concentrations of fat, protein, and somatic cell counts decreased as a whole throughout lactation, while lactose and milk urea nitrogen concentrations increased. The averages for fat, protein, lactose, milk urea nitrogen, and somatic cell count were 1.73%, 2.08%, 6.62%, 25.77mg/dl, and 79,000 cells/ml (39,000 cells/ml without 1 outlier sample), respectively for the collection period. No bacterial infections were found on the culture plates. A California Mastitis Test (CMT) was also conducted, of which no inflammatory results were found. All mares maintained good condition throughout lactation, and foals grew well. Overall, composition was similar to other studies with horses showing excellent mammary health and milk quality

Nitrite cycling in the primary nitrite maxima of the eastern tropical North Pacific

The primary nitrite maximum (PNM) is a ubiquitous feature of the upper ocean, where nitrite accumulates in a sharp peak at the base of the euphotic zone. This feature is situated where many chemical and hydrographic properties have strong gradients and the activities of several microbial processes overlap. Near the PNM, four major microbial processes are active in nitrite cycling: ammonia oxidation, nitrite oxidation, nitrate reduction and nitrite uptake. The first two processes are mediated by the nitrifying archaeal/bacterial community, while the second two processes are primarily conducted by phytoplankton. The overlapping spatial habitats and substrate requirements for these microbes have made understanding the formation and maintenance of the PNM difficult. In this work, we leverage high-resolution nutrient and hydrographic data and direct rate measurements of the four microbial processes to assess the controls on the PNM in the eastern tropical North Pacific (ETNP). The depths of the nitrite maxima showed strong correlations with several water column features (e.g., top of the nitracline, top of the oxycline, depth of the chlorophyll maximum), whereas the maximum concentration of nitrite correlated weakly with only a few water column features (e.g., nitrate concentration at the nitrite maximum). The balance between microbial production and consumption of nitrite was a poor predictor of the concentration of the nitrite maximum, but rate measurements showed that nitrification was a major source of nitrite in the ETNP, while phytoplankton release occasionally accounted for large nitrite contributions near the coast. The temporal mismatch between rate measurements and nitrite standing stocks suggests that studies of the PNM across multiple timescales are necessary.</p

Mobile Phone Interventions for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Systematic Review

CONTEXT: Interventions for adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) are increasingly using mobile phones but may not effectively report evidence. OBJECTIVE: To assess strategies, findings, and quality of evidence on using mobile phones to improve ASRH by using the mHealth Evidence Reporting and Assessment (mERA) checklist recently published by the World Health Organization mHealth Technical Evidence Review Group. DATA SOURCES: Systematic searches of 8 databases for peer-reviewed studies published January 2000 through August 2014. STUDY SELECTION: Eligible studies targeted adolescents ages 10 to 24 and provided results from mobile phone interventions designed to improve ASRH. DATA EXTRACTION: Studies were evaluated according to the mERA checklist, covering essential mHealth criteria and methodological reporting criteria. RESULTS: Thirty-five articles met inclusion criteria. Studies reported on 28 programs operating at multiple levels of the health care system in 7 countries. Most programs (82%) used text messages. An average of 41% of essential mHealth criteria were met (range 14%-79%). An average of 82% of methodological reporting criteria were met (range 52%-100%). Evidence suggests that inclusion of text messaging in health promotion campaigns, sexually transmitted infection screening and follow-up, and medication adherence may lead to improved ASRH. LIMITATIONS: Only 3 articles reported evidence from lower- or middle-income countries, so it is difficult to draw conclusions for these settings. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence on mobile phone interventions for ASRH published in peer-reviewed journals reflects a high degree of quality in methods and reporting. In contrast, current reporting on essential mHealth criteria is insufficient for understanding, replicating, and scaling up mHealth interventions

Healthcare provider-delivered healthy eating recommendations among U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults

8 pagesU.S. Hispanic/Latino adults are at heightened risk for developing diet-related chronic diseases. Healthcare provider recommendations have shown to be effective for promoting health behavior change, but little is known about healthcare provider healthy eating recommendations among Hispanics/Latinos. To investigate the prevalence of and adherence to healthcare provider-delivered healthy eating recommendations among a U.S. sample of Hispanic/Latino adults, participants (N = 798; M = 39.6±15.1 years; 52% Mexican/Mexican American) were recruited via Qualtrics Panels to complete an online survey in January 2018. Most (61%) participants reported having ever received a healthcare provider-delivered dietary recommendation. Higher body mass index (AME = 0.015 [0.009, 0.021]) and having a chronic health condition (AME = 0.484 [0.398, 0.571]) were positively associated with receiving a dietary recommendation while age (AME = 0.004 [ 0.007, 0.001]) and English proficiency (AME = 0.086 [ 0.154, 0.018]) were negatively associated. Participants reported adhering regularly (49.7%) and sometimes (44.4%) to recommendations. There were no significant associations with patient characteristics and adherence to a healthcare provider-delivered dietary recommendation. Findings inform next steps toward increasing implementation of brief dietary counseling from healthcare providers to support prevention and management of chronic diseases among this under-studied population

Supporting employees' work-family needs improves health care quality: Longitudinal evidence from long-term care

We analyzed qualitative and quantitative data from U.S.-based employees in 30 long-term care facilities. Analysis of semi-structured interviews from 154 managers informed quantitative analyses. Quantitative data include 1214 employees' scoring of their supervisors and their organizations on family supportiveness (individual scores and aggregated to facility level), and three outcomes: (1), care quality indicators assessed at facility level (n = 30) and collected monthly for six months after employees' data collection; (2), employees' dichotomous survey response on having additional off-site jobs; and (3), proportion of employees with additional jobs at each facility. Thematic analyses revealed that managers operate within the constraints of an industry that simultaneously: (a) employs low-wage employees with multiple work-family challenges, and (b) has firmly institutionalized goals of prioritizing quality of care and minimizing labor costs. Managers universally described providing work-family support and prioritizing care quality as antithetical to each other. Concerns surfaced that family-supportiveness encouraged employees to work additional jobs off-site, compromising care quality. Multivariable linear regression analysis of facility-level data revealed that higher family-supportive supervision was associated with significant decreases in residents' incidence of all pressure ulcers (−2.62%) and other injuries (−9.79%). Higher family-supportive organizational climate was associated with significant decreases in all falls (−17.94%) and falls with injuries (−7.57%). Managers' concerns about additional jobs were not entirely unwarranted: multivariable logistic regression of employee-level data revealed that among employees with children, having family-supportive supervision was associated with significantly higher likelihood of additional off-site jobs (RR 1.46, 95%CI 1.08–1.99), but family-supportive organizational climate was associated with lower likelihood (RR 0.76, 95%CI 0.59–0.99). However, proportion of workers with additional off-site jobs did not significantly predict care quality at facility levels. Although managers perceived providing work-family support and ensuring high care quality as conflicting goals, results suggest that family-supportiveness is associated with better care quality

Facile silane functionalization of graphene oxide

The facile silane functionalization of graphene oxide (GO) was achieved yielding vinyltrimethoxysilane-reduced graphene oxide (VTMOS-rGO) nanospheres located in the inter-layer spacing between rGO sheets via an acid–base reaction using aqueous media. The successful grafting of the silane agent with pendant vinyl groups to rGO was confirmed by a combination of Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The structure and speciation of the silane-graphene network (nanosphere) and, the presence of free vinyl groups was verified from solid-state magic angle spinning (MAS) and solution 13C and 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements. Evidence from Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) and TEM-High-Angle Annular Dark-Field (TEM-HAADF) imaging showed that these silane networks aided the exfoliation of the rGO layers preventing agglomeration, the interlayer spacing increased by 10 Å. The thermal stability (TGA/DTA) of VTMOS-rGO was significantly improved relative to GO, displaying just one degradation process for the silane network some 300 °C higher than either VTMOS or GO alone. The reduction of GO to VTMOS-rGO induced sp2 hybridization and enhanced the electrical conductivity of GO by 105 S m−1