Religious Involvement and the Attitudes Toward Birth Control

Religious Involvement and the Attitudes Toward Birth Control Carly Jacobs, Rachel LaFont, Whitney Wright Faculty Advisor: Erin M. Pryor, Ph.D. Key words: religion, birth control, contraceptive, sexual education, pregnancy prevention Historically, religious communities with conservative beliefs about sex and procreation offer limited access to and deter the use of birth control for pregnancy prevention (Cole & Geist, 2021; Piper et al., 2022; Wilde & Danielsen, 2014). Studies show that the higher religiosity involvement someone has, the less likely they are to use any artificial birth control to prevent pregnancy, and the more likely for them to remain abstinent (Piper et al., 2022). Recognizing the disparity in education of and access to birth control is important in continuing the fight for reproductive justice (Price, 2020; Roberts, 2015; Ross & Solinger, 2017). Therefore, our research explores religious involvement, attitudes toward birth control, and how different religions affect access to birth control in different ways. Through Dr. Pryor’s Social Research Methods class, we have synthesized previous research literature and explored different methodologies including: surveying Belmont students in an Introduction to Sociology course, analyzing a secondary data source of a CBS News survey about the Catholic church, analyzing content of sexual education initiatives, and interviewing a Belmont student about their experience. All of these methods were used to further our understanding of the influence of religion on access to and the use of birth control

Facing Real-World Challenges of Immunogenicity in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The advent of biological therapies drastically altered the landscape of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment, making long-term steroid-free remission possible for thousands of patients living with this chronic inflammatory condition that compromises the integrity of the gastrointestinal mucosa. Unfortunately, up to 65% of patients with IBD develop anti-drug antibodies to biologics (1). This is especially problematic for pediatrics, where treatment options are substantially more limited than for adult patients. Currently, only two biologics have approval from the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pediatric indications in IBD, anti-TNF-α agents infliximab (IFX), and adalimumab (ADM). The fear of losing these two agents to immunogenicity is very real for the providers and the families of the ~70,000 children affected by IBD in the U.S. (2)

When to approach novel prey cues? Social learning strategies in frog-eating bats

Animals can use different sources of information when making decisions. Foraging animals often have access to both self-acquired and socially acquired information about prey. The fringe-lipped bat, Trachops cirrhosus, hunts frogs by approaching the calls that frogs produce to attract mates.We examined howthe reliability of self-acquired prey cues affects social learning of novel prey cues. We trained bats to associate an artificial acoustic cue (mobile phone ringtone) with food rewards. Bats were assigned to treatments in which the trained cue was either an unreliable indicator of reward (rewarded 50% of the presentations) or a reliable indicator (rewarded 100% of the presentations), and they were exposed to a conspecific tutor foraging on a reliable (rewarded 100%) novel cue or to the novel cue with no tutor. Bats whose trained cue was unreliable and who had a tutor were significantly more likely to preferentially approach the novel cue when compared with bats whose trained cue was reliable, and to bats that had no tutor. Reliability of self-acquired prey cues therefore affects social learning of novel prey cues by frog-eating bats. Examining when animals use social information to learn about novel prey is key to understanding the social transmission of foraging innovations. © 2013 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society

Experiencing Short Heat Waves Early in Development Changes Thermal Responsiveness of Turtle Embryos to Later Heat Waves

Although physiological responses to the thermal environment are most frequently investigated using constant temperatures, the incorporation of thermal variability can allow for a more accurate prediction of how thermally sensitive species respond to a rapidly changing climate. In species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), developmental responses to incubation temperature are mediated by several genes involved in gonadal differentiation. Kdm6b and Dmrt1 respond to cool incubation temperatures and are associated with testis development, while Foxl2 and Cyp19A1 respond to warm incubation temperatures and are associated with ovary development. Using fluctuating incubation temperatures, we designed two studies, one investigating how conflicting thermal cues affect the timing of commitment to gonadal development, and another investigating the rapid molecular responses to conflicting thermal cues in the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta). Using gene expression as a proxy of timing of commitment to gonadal fate, results from the first study show that exposure to high amounts of conflicting thermal cues during development delays commitment to gonadal fate

Can Instagram be used to deliver an evidence-based exercise program for young women A process evaluation

Background Instagram provides an opportunity to deliver low cost, accessible and appealing physical activity content. This study evaluated the feasibility of delivering an exercise program for young women using Instagram. Methods A single-group pre- and post-intervention trial examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 12-week Instagram-delivered program with young inactive women (n = 16; M = 23 years), which prescribed running and body weight exercises to complete three times per week. Daily Instagram posts delivered the exercises, video demonstrations and motivational content. Feasibility was evaluated by examining exposure (Instagram posts viewed per week), engagement (likes, comments and tags on Instagram posts; number of exercise sessions completed per week; retention, defined as completion of the online survey at weeks 6 and 12), and acceptability [whether the program increased participants’ motivation to exercise (1 = strongly disagree-5 = strongly agree); satisfaction with the program (1 = not satisfied-5 = very satisfied)]. Preliminary efficacy was evaluated by comparing baseline and 12-week self-reported physical activity (IPAQ short-form) and fitness (cardiorespiratory and muscle strength; 1 = very poor-5 = very good, International Fitness Scale) using the Exact sign test. Results On average, participants reported seeing six posts in their Instagram feed per week. Posts received an average of five likes (IQR = 3–6). A total of four comments and one tag were observed across all posts. On average, participants reported completing two exercise sessions per week. Retention was 88% at 6 weeks but dropped to 56% at 12 weeks. Participants reported increased motivation to exercise (Mdn = 4, IQR = 3–4) and were satisfied with the program (Mdn = 4, IQR = 3–4). Only self-reported cardiorespiratory fitness showed a meaningful, though nonsignificant, improvement (MdnΔ = 1, IQR = 0–1, p = .06). Conclusions Although Instagram has the potential to deliver a low cost, convenient exercise program for young women, additional research is needed to identify methods of improving engagement (interaction with the Instagram content, exercise sessions completed, and retention in the program). Future research could examine the use of behaviour change theory and provide information that enables participants to tailor the exercises to their interests and needs. Additionally, the use of objective assessments of physical activity and fitness among a larger participants sample is needed

Shaping Educator Sensemaking in Complex Systems? Policy-Directed Teacher Evaluation Models as Boundary Objects

This study examined a state-wide, policy-directed teacher evaluation model implemented across public schools and educator preparation programs. Such models are grounded in a theory of action that situates teacher learning within social relationships, yet does not account for the complexity of systems. Results challenge policy’s implicit theory that an evaluation model can function as a boundary object to create a common understanding of good teaching and positively impact teacher professional practice. We found contradictory evidence that the model served as a boundary object that facilitated shared sensemaking as mediated understandings of good teaching collided with expectations in classroom contexts

Consequences of Dam Removal on Mussel Assemblages (Unionidae) in the Cuyahoga River

The primary objective of a new survey of the Cuyahoga River was to assess species richness and population abundance of various mussel species in the family Unionidae throughout the Middle Cuyahoga River and upper parts of the Lower Cuyahoga River. Historically, few records existed for this river between Lake Rockwell and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a region in which four dams have been removed in the past 12 years. Timed visual surveys were conducted during low flow conditions and by using tactile techniques in deeper water. Throughout the survey, only 37 live animals were located across the 18 Middle Cuyahoga River sites inspected, which included only Lampsilis siliquoidea, Pyganodon grandis and the state-endangered Ligumia nasuta. No live mussels were found between the Gorge and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. That 434 shells and valves were collected, and all but two were classifed as long dead, attests that mussels had been more abundant, and that at least nine of the ten species known to be present above Lake Rockwell had lived in the Middle Cuyahoga River. Remote sensing data and aerial photographs were used to characterize change in opening up the river, but benefts to water quality and stream flow subsequent to dam removal must be tempered with the apparent loss of an assemblage of mussels better adapted to lentic conditions

Vascular changes in diabetic retinopathy-a longitudinal study in the Nile rat.

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common microvascular complication of diabetes and is a major cause of blindness, but an understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease has been hampered by a lack of accurate animal models. Here, we explore the dynamics of retinal cellular changes in the Nile rat (Arvicanthis niloticus), a carbohydrate-sensitive model for type 2 diabetes. The early retinal changes in diabetic Nile rats included increased acellular capillaries and loss of pericytes that correlated linearly with the duration of diabetes. These vascular changes occurred in the presence of microglial infiltration but in the absence of retinal ganglion cell loss. After a prolonged duration of diabetes, the Nile rat also exhibits a spectrum of retinal lesions commonly seen in the human condition including vascular leakage, capillary non-perfusion, and neovascularization. Our longitudinal study documents a range and progression of retinal lesions in the diabetic Nile rat remarkably similar to those observed in human diabetic retinopathy, and suggests that this model will be valuable in identifying new therapeutic strategies