On the Right Track to Safer Communities: Steering California's Juvenile Offenders Away from Lives of Crime

Describes family therapies and community-based intervention programs to reduce repeat offenses by juvenile offenders. Includes recommendations for expanding existing programs and an analysis of potential cost savings

Personalized Recommendations Based On Users’ Information-Centered Social Networks

The overwhelming amount of information available today makes it difficult for users to find useful information and as the solution to this information glut problem, recommendation technologies emerged. Among the several streams of related research, one important evolution in technology is to generate recommendations based on users’ own social networks. The idea to take advantage of users’ social networks as a foundation for their personalized recommendations evolved from an Internet trend that is too important to neglect – the explosive growth of online social networks. In spite of the widely available and diversified assortment of online social networks, most recent social network-based recommendations have concentrated on limited kinds of online sociality (i.e., trust-based networks and online friendships). Thus, this study tried to prove the expandability of social network-based recommendations to more diverse and less focused social networks. The online social networks considered in this dissertation include: 1) a watching network, 2) a group membership, and 3) an academic collaboration network. Specifically, this dissertation aims to check the value of users’ various online social connections as information sources and to explore how to include them as a foundation for personalized recommendations. In our results, users in online social networks shared similar interests with their social partners. An in-depth analysis about the shared interests indicated that online social networks have significant value as a useful information source. Through the recommendations generated by the preferences of social connection, the feasibility of users’ social connections as a useful information source was also investigated comprehensively. The social network-based recommendations produced as good as, or sometimes better, suggestions than traditional collaborative filtering recommendations. Social network-based recommendations were also a good solution for the cold-start user problem. Therefore, in order for cold-start users to receive reasonably good recommendations, it is more effective to be socially associated with other users, rather than collecting a few more items. To conclude, this study demonstrates the viability of multiple social networks as a means for gathering useful information and addresses how different social networks of a novelty value can improve upon conventional personalization technology

The Hunger Games Media Representation of the National School Lunch Program

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) was designed to help ease the financial burden of eligible families and provide a hot and nutritious meal for students. This program offers assistance to families who otherwise may not be able to afford consistent nutritious meals for their children. There is a lack of research in the area of media representation of public welfare programs, including the National School Lunch Program. The purpose of this research was to examine how both national (The New York Times) and local (Minneapolis Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press) newspapers portrayed NSLP in the 1960\u27s, 1980\u27s, and 2000\u27s. This study used the grounded theory data analysis method to facilitate a textual analysis. Findings indicated that in the 1960\u27s there was support as well as acknowledgement that something needed to be done about hunger in America and NSLP created a sense of social justice and responsibility for many during this time. In the 1980\u27s the predominant discourse centered on the costs of the NSLP program and ways to cut the budget, but there were voices in favor of expanding the program, too. Finally in the 2000s, while social responsibility started to emerge again as a theme, the discourse shifted to the nutrition of the program and how to efficiently feed those who need it. Interestingly, across all three decades, the influence of stigma for those using the NSLP was either evident in the prose of the discourse or in the experiences of children portrayed in the discourse. Future research should focus on how race plays a part in the portrayal of NSLP in the media, and the enduring influence of stigmatization of public assistance programs, even those that help children

“The Hunger Games” Media Representation of the National School Lunch Program

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) was designed to help ease the financial burden of eligible families and provide a hot and nutritious meal for students. This program offers assistance to families who otherwise may not be able to afford consistent nutritious meals for their children. There is a lack of research in the area of media representation of public welfare programs, including the National School Lunch Program. The purpose of this research was to examine how both national (The New York Times) and local (Minneapolis Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press) newspapers portrayed NSLP in the 1960’s, 1980’s, and 2000’s. This study used the grounded theory data analysis method to facilitate a textual analysis. Findings indicated that in the 1960’s there was support as well as acknowledgement that something needed to be done about hunger in America and NSLP created a sense of social justice and responsibility for many during this time. In the 1980’s the predominant discourse centered on the costs of the NSLP program and ways to cut the budget, but there were voices in favor of expanding the program, too. Finally in the 2000s, while social responsibility started to emerge again as a theme, the discourse shifted to the nutrition of the program and how to efficiently feed those who need it. Interestingly, across all three decades, the influence of stigma for those using the NSLP was either evident in the prose of the discourse or in the experiences of children portrayed in the discourse. Future research should focus on how race plays a part in the portrayal of NSLP in the media, and the enduring influence of stigmatization of public assistance programs, even those that help children

Relationship Between HPV Vaccination and Sexual Activity, Sexual Health Care Utilization, and Perceived Risk

The relationship between sexual activity, sexual health care utilization, and perceived risk for HPV-related outcomes was examined in sample of college women, to explore recent concerns that HPV vaccination may be related to an increase in risky sexual behaviors. Vaccinated and not vaccinated women completed an anonymous, online survey including age of vaccination, age at each sexual partner, condom use, use and intentions to use sexual health care services, and perceptions of risk. Vaccinated women also reported perceptions of change because of vaccination. Women were matched on age, race, and poverty status. Number of partners since vaccination was calculated among the vaccinated women as partners at or after age of vaccination. Number of partners since vaccination for not vaccinated women was calculated using the age of vaccination of the matched pair, to allow comparison across equivalent time intervals. Number of vaginal, oral received, and anal partners were not different for vaccinated and not vaccinated women. Although, after vaccination, women who received the vaccine reported performing oral sex on a larger number of partners than not vaccinated women, the number of vaginal, oral, and anal sex partners for which a condom was not used was not different for vaccinated and not vaccinated women. Therefore, the number of partners from which STI infection was likely was similar for all women. Although use of sexual health care services since vaccination was not different for vaccinated and not vaccinated women, not vaccinated women reported higher intentions to receive a pelvic exam in the next year and a Pap smear in the next three years than vaccinated women. Intentions to receive an STI test in the next year were not different, however. Perceptions of risk for HPV-related outcomes were also not different for vaccinated and not vaccinated women. Among vaccinated women, the majority reported they had not changed their sexual activity, condom use, or use of health care services because of the vaccine. This study indicates that HPV vaccination is not related to greater risky sexual activity but that efforts to increase intentions to use sexual health care services among vaccinated women should be addressed

Cardiac and Mitochondrial Dysfunction during Diabetes Mellitus: Examination of Mitochondrial Import Mechanisms

Approximately 9% of the United States population is diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM), which is comprised of 2 distinct pathologies: type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). T1DM, which is caused by insufficient insulin production, affects approximately 5% of diabetic patients, while T2DM results from insulin resistance and affects 95% of all diabetic patients. Within diabetic patients, cardiac complications, such as diabetic cardiomyopathy, are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The mitochondrion has been implicated as an underlying factor in the etiology and progression of the cardiac contractile deficits and cardiac failure that accompany DM. The study of cardiac mitochondria is further complicated by the presence of two distinct mitochondrial subpopulations residing within the cardiomyocyte. The pool of mitochondria existing beneath the sarcolemmal membrane are termed the subsarcolemmal mitochondria (SSM), while the group that exists between the myofibrils is called the interfibrillar mitochondria (IFM). Assessment of mitochondrial subpopulations has revealed differential impact to both physiological and pathological stimuli. Specifically, during DM, the IFM are most impacted during T1DM, with the SSM being most impacted under T2DM pathological insult. During DM, proteomic analyses by our laboratory and others reveal decreased abundance of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins essential for processes such as oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid oxidation and tricarboxylic acid cycle in the subpopulation predominantly impacted by the DM type. Further, our laboratory has previously shown import efficiency to be down in the T1DM IFM, which could play a role in the proteomic dysregulation. Approximately 99% of the mitochondrial proteome is composed of nuclear-encoded proteins imported into the mitochondrion via a complicated mechanism of translocation that coordinates both the outer and inner mitochondrial membranes, thus highlighting the importance of studying the nuclear-encoded mitochondrial protein import process during pathological states. To date, evaluation of the diabetic heart using a highly sensitive echocardiographic analysis software in order to assess subtle changes in left ventricular function prior to overt contractile dysfunction during DM has not been completed. Additionally, the differential proteomic alterations in mitochondrial subpopulations resulting from distinct DM pathologies and the evaluation of inefficient nuclear-encoded mitochondrial protein import due to decrements in a key import constituent in the mitochondrial subpopulation predominantly affected, mitochondrial heat shock protein 70 (mtHsp70), have not been completed. Further, the mechanisms involved in miRNA import into the mitochondrion during DM remains limited. Therefore, the goal of the following studies was to examine subpopulation-specific mitochondrial proteome disruption stemming from inefficient nuclear-encoded mitochondrial protein import and/or increased miRNA influx into the mitochondrion, thus leading to increased contractile dysfunction during DM. T1DM was induced in 6-week-old mice with multiple low-dose (50mg/kg) streptozotocin (STZ) injections for 5 consecutive days. Hyperglycemia was confirmed and echocardiography performed at weeks 1, 3 and 6 post-diabetic onset. Conventional analyses revealed cardiac contractile deficits relative to control at 6-weeks post-T1DM onset. In contrast, short- and long-axis analyses using the speckle-tracking based strain analysis software demonstrated changes in the LV myocardium as early as 1-week post-diabetic onset. These findings show that analysis of myocardial function using speckle-tracking based strain analyses could provide a more precise method for evaluating cardiac contractile dysfunction during the progression of different pathological states. Our laboratory has previously shown that proteomic alterations specific to the T2DM SSM and T1DM IFM occur, potentially due to a decrement in nuclear-encoded mitochondrial protein import. Because mtHsp70, an essential component in the import of nuclear-encoded proteins into the mitochondrion is consistently down during DM, we generated a novel transgenic line with a cardiac-specific overexpression of mtHsp70. We subjected this line to STZ to generate a T1DM mouse model with mtHsp70 overexpression. Further, we utilized the db/db mouse model for T2DM and with a novel ovarian transplantation procedure, we were able to generate an increased abundance of mtHsp70 db/db and control animals, which were approximately 20-weeks-old before hearts were excised and mitochondrial subpopulations isolated. When assessing nuclear-encoded mitochondrial protein import efficiency in the mitochondrial subpopulations during both types of DM, we found decrements to this process in the SSM of T2DM mice and IFM of T1DM mice, which was subsequently restored with mtHsp70 overexpression. Further, alterations to the most impacted mitochondrial subpopulations proteome were noted, with mtHsp70 affording protection. Additionally, we also found mtHsp70 protein content to be down in the T1DM and T2DM human heart. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)

The path to high status is paved with litter : a netnography of status competition among Litterati.

Within marketing, postmodern perspectives relate conspicuous consumption and status to the realisation of self-identity. The consumption of goods and their symbolic meaning allow an individual to reinforce, create and maintain his or her identity. Notions of conformity and consumption of visible goods could be attributed to social identity theory, where identity shifts from context to context. The consumption or rejection of certain goods thus reinforces an individual’s shifting identity among various contexts, such as home, school or work. It is the view of evolutionary psychology that theories such as social identity theory and consumer culture theory provide a proximal explanation of consumer behaviour, yet beyond these explanations are thought to be universal and ultimate drivers of behaviour. Evolutionary psychology presents cost signalling theory to help explain why individuals compete for status. However, existing evolutionary theories are still incomplete, particularly in explaining the paths in which individuals take to achieve status within a peer group. This research explores how and why people engage in pro-environmental behaviour. A review of the literature indicates that a desire for status is the main underlying driver motivating this type of behaviour, however the literature further indicates that theory on status is still incomplete in terms of understanding the path a person takes to achieve higher status. Therefore the gap this thesis aims to fill is to clarify the path an individual takes to achieve higher status within the context of pro-environmental behaviour. In order to identify how and why people engage in pro-environmental behaviour and strategies for status this research uses netnography to explore hierarchy negotiation within an online community of pro-environmental behaviourists called the Litterati. The Litterati is an Instagram community consisting of over 15,000 members worldwide, whom pick up and photograph litter. The main Litterati site and associated social media pages provide the visible conditions necessary for people to compete for higher status through cost signalling. The research findings are presented as three levels. The first level addressed observed empirical events, consisting of the observed tactics used within the Litterati for gaining status. The observed tactics among the Litterati are the use of visual appeal, time, humour and reciprocity. The next level addresses events, which are not wholly observable. This consists of the themes or patterns arising from the retroductive analysis of the interviews and participant observation and how they relate to status strategies. The main themes that help explain the paths to status are self-efficacy; community; and reciprocity or validation. The third level applies evolutionary theories of status and cost signalling to explain the underlying causes of the observed behaviours. The two strategies for status, Dominance and Prestige are presented as manifestations of the dynamic relationships between each level of the findings. This research contributes to exiting theory by clarifying the path an individual takes to achieve higher status, with the analysis demonstrating that Dominance and Prestige are not as distinct as the extant literature would suggest. Additionally, this research indicates that behaviour online influences behaviour offline provided there is a strong sense of community and feelings of self-efficacy are promoted through social modelling and social persuasion. The sense of validation participants reported through the community membership led to an increase in their uptake of pro-environmental behaviours offline, including changes in their consumption decisions. The wider implications of these findings indicate online communities of ethical consumption, such as the Litterati, promote a feeling of passive activism, where discussion of social change and interaction result in behaviour change

Individuals Differences in Exploratory Behavior of Prairie Voles, \u3ci\u3eMicrotus ochrogaster\u3c/i\u3e

Individual differences in behavior are significant because they serve as the substrate for natural selection. Within the Behavioral Syndromes framework, researchers study individual differences in behavior of animals. Behavioral Syndromes are defined as correlations between behaviors in different environmental contexts or testing situations. In this study, I examined the effects of litter size and sex ratio, familial relationships, and age and sex on exploratory behavior of prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster. Exploratory behavior, defined as spontaneous behavioral responses to unfamiliar stimuli, was examined in three novel situations: an open-field with novel objects, a two-way novel choice apparatus, and a complex maze. Each test was found to measure a different exploratory behavior axis: the open-field test with novel objects measured interactive behavior, the exploratory maze measured general activity behavior, and the two-way novel choice test measured proactive/reactive behavior in response to novel environments. No correlation of behavioral responses across the three tests was found, thus providing no evidence of an overall exploratory behavioral syndrome in this species. On the other hand, there was considerable individual variation in behavior within each test and some of this variation could be explained by the independent variables examined. Litter size and, to a smaller degree, age explained exploratory behavior in the open-field. Subjects from large, socially complex litters and young subjects were less interactive in the open-field with novel objects than subjects from smaller litters and older subjects. In the maze, subjects who were the only ones of their sex in a litter entered the maze sooner than subjects from all other litter compositions; there also was a tendency for females to travel longer distances within the maze than males. However, I found no relationship between behavior in the two-way novel choice apparatus and the independent variables of interest. Across all three tests, most subjects across families demonstrated similar behavioral tendencies; as a result I concluded that the general character of this population of prairie voles includes being highly interactive, more active, and proactive. Overall, the results of this study raise questions about the interpretation of behavioral responses and the identification of behavioral syndromes

Developmental Characterization of the Choroid Plexus in Sialidosis (Neu1 Deficient) Mice

The lysosomal sialidase Neuraminidase-1 (Neu1) initiates the hydrolysis of sialoglycoconjugates by cleaving their terminal sialic acid residues. Neu1 creates a complex with the carboxypeptidase protective protein/cathepsin A (PPCA), which is necessary for its catalytic activation and its transport to the lysosomal compartment. In humans, a primary deficiency of this enzyme leads to a pediatric, catastrophic, neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder called sialidosis. Mice deficient in Neu1 exemplify the early-onset severe form of sialidosis. Our laboratory has recently discovered that loss of Neu1 exacerbates the process of lysosomal exocytosis (LyEXO) in various cell types by influencing the sialic acid content of lysosomal associated membrane protein-1 (LAMP-1). LyEXO is a calcium-regulated physiological process which results in the fusion of lysosomes with the plasma membrane and consequent remodeling of the PM and release of lysosomal luminal content into the extracellular space. Defective processing of the sialic acid residues of LAMP-1 in absence of Neu1, prolongs its half-life and leaves lysosomes disposed to dock at the PM and take part in LyEXO. So far, Neu1 deficient mice are the only disease model currently available that shows excessive LyEXO. This dissertation focused on a brain structure, which has an intrinsic exocytic/endocytic capacity: the choroid plexus (CP). The CP is responsible for producing and secreting the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and functions as the barrier interface between the blood and the CSF. The specific aim of this research was to investigate the consequences of Neu1 deficiency on the structural and functional characteristics of the CP as assessed by a comprehensive analysis of several CP markers during development and adulthood