Characterization of Marital Violence Using Data from Six Countries in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Survey Initiative

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive global public health problem that occurs in all settings and cultural groups. Traditionally, IPV research has largely focused on identifying risk factors from those who have already been victimized. In contrast to descriptive statistics, this project utilized predictive modeling methods to develop a robust model to predict risk for IPV, defined as moderate physical violence occurring within current marriages. Data for this project come from six countries participating in the World Health Organization (WHO) World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative. Analyses capitalized on the availability of data containing detailed pre-marital factors from both members of currently married couples and considered both independent and joint effects. All potential predictors were broken into four defined predictor groups; demographics and relationship characteristics, adverse experiences in childhood, violence in dating relationships, and pre-marital psychiatric disorders.;Among the 1,515 couples within our sample, 14.4% (se, 0.98) experienced female victimization of IPV as reported by either the husband or the wife. Separate analyses for each predictor group resulted in ten significant variables; three demographics and relationship characteristic predictors, two childhood adversity predictors, two dating experience predictors, and three mental disorder predictors. All ten predictors were used to construct a final predictive model. Predicted probabilities of marital violence for each couple were then calculated from the final model\u27s coefficients. Given the possibility of overfitting our model, we then used the method of replicated 10-fold cross-validation with 20 replicates and generated predicted probabilities of marital violence for each couple in this simulated data set (20 times our original sample size, n=30,300). A Receiver Operating Characteristic and Area Under the Curve were calculated to quantify overall prediction accuracy of the model in the observed and simulated data sets. Model fit indices were strong as the estimated Area Under the Curve for the observed data was 0.75 and 0.70 for the simulated data. The top 5% of respondents with the highest predicted risk included 18.6% of all cases of marital violence. This is just under four times the proportion expected by chance.;The World Mental Health survey findings advance our understanding of the extent to which marital violence varies within the context of the couple. Traditionally, research on IPV utilize report from one person, typically the female victim. Our results suggest that this practice does not adequately describe IPV as it is inherently a dyadic experience. These results are valuable in providing a foundation for more targeted primary prevention efforts

The Appropriation of the Prospect of Taking Medication for Psychological Complaints: An Empirical-Phenomenological Investigation

The purpose of this investigation was to describe the lived experience of being confronted with the prospect of taking medications for a psychological complaint, namely a depressive disorder. Descriptions of such experiences were obtained from adult participants and were analyzed qualitatively in order to explicate the themes and meanings that were most significant to forming the experience as such. The findings of this study were dialogued with literature on medication taking, the doctor-patient relationship, dialogic psychology and the construction of the self, and theories of willing, motivation and identity. This analysis contributes to the current literature by illuminating the lived significance of confronting the prospect of taking medication as it related to the experiences of these subjects relations with themselves, other people, and the worlds around them. The implications of these findings with regard to prescribing medication were also discussed. Data was organized into units of significant meaning and was then rendered into a situated structure for each individual subject. A general structure that encompassed all three subjects was developed and as such revealed the phenomenon of appropriating the prospect of taking medication as grounded in the referential totality of the world of the person who is confronted with this possibility. Concretely, this means that one who is confronted with this possibility engages this prospect from out of the contexts of one\u27s relatedness to others, of the projects of one\u27s life, of one\u27s understandings of who one is, and of the history, culture and society in which one finds oneself rooted. Having to confront this prospect brought these subjects into contact with their very senses of identity whether they were able to positively appropriate this possibility or not

Response of a Pearly Eye Melon Fly Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae) Mutant to Host-Associated Visual Cues

We report on a pearly eye mutant (PEM) line generated from a single male of Bactrocera cucurbitae collected in Kapoho, Hawaii. Crossing experi- ments with colony wild-type flies indicate that the locus controlling this trait is autosomal and the mutant allele is recessive. Experiments with females to assess response to visual oviposition cues (shape and color) suggest that PEM flies are at least unresponsive to color, and likely also unable to perceive visual shape cues. This phenotype has been described from field collection before, but its visual abili- ties have not previously been tested. The rediscovery of the PEM phenotype and results of the vision test support the hypothesis that the PEM trait has significant negative fitness consequences in the field, and that the recessive allele resulting in this phenotype probably occurs at a low frequency in nature

Pilot Study: What Measures Predict First Time Pass Rate on the National Physical Therapy Examination?

Background: Research investigating predictors of success on licensure examination is useful for admission criteria as well as targeted intervention for identified at risk students in physical therapy programs. Predictors of success on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) have been explored but results are no longer current. This study assessed predictive variables including admission data, performance in identified key courses, and academic/clinical difficulty for Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) cohorts at Mount St Joseph University. Objective: Determine variables predicting success on the National Physical Therapy Examination. Design: A retrospective correlational study was done. Methods: Retrospective data of Mount St Joseph University Doctor of Physical Therapy cohorts that matriculated between 2006 and 2011 was collected and de-identified. Data variables included admissions data, identified key course grades, evidence of academic difficulties, seven performance indicators from the Clinical Performance Instrument (CPI) during the final internship, and professional Grade Point Average (pGPA). Descriptive statistics, correlational matrix, factor analysis, and multiple regression were used to analyze relationships between and among independent variables to the dependent variable of National Physical Therapy Examination success. Results: Factor analysis revealed four factor categories of independent variables: Clinical Performance Instrument criteria, Doctor of Physical Therapy Academic Performance, Admissions Requirements, and Academic/Clinical Difficulty. Multiple regression identified academic performance within the Doctor of Physical Therapy program (foundational course grades and Grade Point Average) and verbal/quantitative Graduate Examination Record (v/qGRE) scores to be the greatest predictor of first time and ultimate pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Examination. Conclusion: Predictors of success on the National Physical Therapy Examination are essential for DPT programs to consider when making policies regarding admissions, academic standards, and early testing of the National Physical Therapy Examination. Additionally this information can assist Doctor of Physical Therapy programs in identifying at risk students and aiding them in seeking support services to assist their success

Influence of Sport Specialization on Athletic Performance and Injury Risk in Collegiate Swimmers

To assess the effect of swimming specialization on performance and injury risk in collegiate swimmers, thirty collegiate swimmers (20.1 ± 0.9 years [18.5 – 22.3 years]) were asked to complete an anonymous survey to provide information regarding their sports participation history, success in swimming, and the occurrence and quantity of swimming-related injuries. Specialization status was determined by the swimmer claiming they had specialized and by the number of months (≥ 8 months) they participated in swimming each year. Correlation analysis revealed several significant (p \u3c 0.05) relationships between all determinants of specialization, swimming success, and swimming injuries. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that the age which an athlete specialized was the best predictor of the occurrence of a swimming- related injury (R2 = 0.34, p = 0.004) and the number of injuries sustained (R2 = 0.25, p = 0.019). Years of competitive swimming experience was the best predictor (p \u3c 0.008) of performance in the freestyle stroke at 50-yards (R2 = 0.47), 100-yards (R2 = 0.53), and 500-yards (R2 = 0.43), the back stroke at 200-yards (R2 = 0.41), and the 100-yard butterfly (R2 = 0.55). The age in which the athlete specialized in swimming was the best predictor of the 200-yard individual medley (R2 = 0.30, p = 0.037). Our data suggests that swimming specialization may be beneficial for success in select swimming events but is not as important as years of competitive experience and may also lead to a greater number of swimming-related injuries

Improving muscle strength and size: the importance of training volume, intensity, and status

Increases in muscle size and strength are influenced by the mechanical and metabolic stresses imposed by resistance training. Mechanical stress is induced by the use of high-intensity training and it is believed it activates a larger percentage of muscle fibers. Conversely, metabolic stress is generated by high training volumes with moderate intensities using short rest intervals. This training paradigm results in greater fatigue and potentially stimulates a greater anabolic hormone response to exercise. Although evidence exists for both strategies, it still remains inconclusive whether one training paradigm is more advantageous than the other regarding muscle hypertrophy development. In untrained adults, the novelty of most resistance training programs may be sufficient to promote hypertrophy and strength gains, whereas greater training intensity may be more beneficial for trained adults. However, the body of well-designed research in this advanced population is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this brief review is to discuss the merits and limitations of the current evidence

Comparison of High-Intensity vs. High-Volume Resistance Training on the BDNF Response to Exercise

This study compared the acute and chronic response of circulating plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to high-intensity low-volume (HI) and low-intensity high volume (HV) resistance training. Twenty experienced resistance-trained men (23.5 ± 2.6 y, 1.79 ± 0.05 m, 75.7 ± 13.8 kg) volunteered for this study. Before the resistance training program (PRE), participants performed an acute bout of exercise using either the HI [3-5 reps; 90% of one repetition maximum (1RM)] or HV (10–12 reps; 70% 1RM) training paradigm. The acute exercise protocol was repeated after 7 wk of training (POST). Blood samples were obtained at rest (BL), immediately (IP), 30 min (30P), and 60 min (60P) post exercise at PRE and POST. A three-way repeated measure ANOVA was used to analyze acute changes in BDNF concentrations during HI and HV resistance exercise and the effect of 7 wk of training. No training × time × group interaction in BDNF was noted (P = 0.994). Significant main effects for training (P = 0.050) and time (P \u3c 0.001) in BDNF were observed. Significant elevations in BDNF concentrations were seen from BL at IP (P = 0.001), 30P (P \u3c 0.001), and 60P (P \u3c 0.001) in both HI and HV combined during PRE and POST. BDNF concentrations were also observed to increase from PRE to POST when collapsed across groups and time. No significant group × training interaction (P = 0.342), training (P = 0.105), or group (P = 0.238) effect were noted in the BDNF area under the curve response. Results indicate that BDNF concentrations are increased after an acute bout of resistance exercise, regardless of training paradigm, and are further increased during a 7-wk training program in experienced lifters

Agreement between the Open Barbell and Tendo Linear Position Transducers for Monitoring Barbell Velocity during Resistance Exercise

To determine the agreement between the Open Barbell (OB) and Tendo weightlifting analyzer (TWA) for measuring barbell velocity, eleven men (19.4 ± 1.0 y) performed one set of 2–3 repetitions at four sub-maximal percentage loads, [i.e., 30, 50, 70, and 90% one-repetition maximum (1RM)] in the back (BS) and front squat (FS) exercises. During each repetition, peak and mean barbell velocity were recorded by OB and TWA devices, and the average of the 2–3 repetitions was used for analyses. Although the repeated measures analysis of variance revealed significantly (p ≤ 0.005) greater peak and mean velocity scores from OB across all intensities, high intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC2,K = 0.790–0.998), low standard error of measurement (SEM2,K = 0.040–0.119 m·s−1), and coefficients of variation (CV = 2–4%) suggested consistency between devices. Positive (r = 0.491–0.949) Pearson correlations between averages and differences (between devices) in peak velocity, as well as associated Bland-Altman plots, showed greater differences occurred as the velocity increased, particularly at low-moderate intensity loads. OB consistently provides greater barbell velocity scores compared to TWA, and the differences between devices were more apparent as the peak velocity increased with low-to-moderate loads. Strength coaches and athletes may find better agreement between devices if the mean velocity scores are only considered

The Longitudinal Neurophysiological Adaptation of a Division I Female Lacrosse Player Following Anterior Cruciate Rupture and Repair: A Case Report

# Background Neurophysiological adaptation following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture and repair (ACLR) is critical in establishing neural pathways during the rehabilitation process. However, there is limited objective measures available to assess neurological and physiological markers of rehabilitation. # Purpose To investigate the innovative use of quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) to monitor the longitudinal change in brain and central nervous systems activity while measuring musculoskeletal function during an anterior cruciate ligament repair rehabilitation. # Case Description A 19 year-old, right-handed, Division I NCAA female lacrosse midfielder suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture, with a tear to the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus of the right knee. Arthroscopic reconstruction utilizing a hamstring autograft and a 5% lateral meniscectomy was performed. An evidence-based ACLR rehabilitation protocol was implemented while using qEEG. # Outcomes Central nervous system, brain performance and musculoskeletal functional biomarkers were monitored longitudinally at three separate time points following anterior cruciate injury: twenty-four hours post ACL rupture, one month and 10 months following ACLR surgery. Biological markers of stress, recovery, brain workload, attention and physiological arousal levels yielded elevated stress determinants in the acute stages of injury and were accompanied with noted brain alterations. Brain and musculoskeletal dysfunction longitudinally reveal a neurophysiological acute compensation and recovering accommodations from time point one to three. Biological responses to stress, brain workload, arousal, attention and brain connectivity all improved over time. # Discussion The neurophysiological responses following acute ACL rupture demonstrates significant dysfunction and asymmetries neurocognitively and physiologically. Initial qEEG assessments revealed hypoconnectivity and brain state dysregulation. Progressive enhanced brain efficiency and functional task progressions associated with ACLR rehabilitation had notable simultaneous improvements. There may be a role for monitoring CNS/brain state throughout rehabilitation and return to play. Future studies should investigate the use of qEEG and neurophysiological properties in tandem during the rehabilitation progression and return to play