The Relationship Between Witnessing Domestic Violence and Criminal Recidivism among Juvenile Sex Offenders

This correlational archival dissertation focuses on the relationship between exposure to domestic violence and criminal recidivism among juvenile sexual offenders. The study examined archival criminal arrest records and self-reported data gathered from a sample of 67 male juvenile sexual offenders in a residential treatment facility. Given the somewhat limited explanations for and research into the causes of juvenile sexual re-offending and the importance of identifying its determinants, this topic may be viewed as having substantial importance to future research and criminal justice policy. Findings did not support the primary hypothesis that prior exposure to domestic violence would be positively correlated with rates of 1-year posttreatment recidivism, or the exploratory hypothesis that prior exposure to domestic violence would be positively correlated with rates of disruptive behavior during treatment. The low rate of 1-year recidivism (n = 4) precluded analysis of the secondary hypothesis that certain factors including being raised in a physically or emotionally neglectful environment, having criminally involved parents, or having parents who use or abuse alcohol or other psychoactive drugs would moderate the relationship between exposure to domestic violence and criminal recidivism. Significant associations were found for the relationship between physical neglect and emotional neglect, domestic violence and emotional neglect, family incarceration and family addiction, and recidivism and physical neglect. There was also a statistical trend for the correlation between recidivism and domestic violence

Teaching homophones in grades one, two and three

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Heterosexism and Homonegativism in Sport: A Phenomenological Investigation of Lesbian Athletes

A female athlete who identifies as lesbian possesses multiple identities that exist within a heterosexist and homonegative climate. The primary objective of this research was to provide a voice to a marginalized group by describing and to understand the experiences of athletes who identify as lesbian. Phenomenological interviews were conducted with 11 women who identified as athletes and lesbian. An overall thematic structure containing a ground and three figural themes, supported by participant quotations, was developed to represent the lesbian athletes’ experiences. The ground was my own process. The three figural themes that emerged were support, homophobia, and emotions. Further research on athletes who identify as lesbian, and each theme presented in the present study, is necessary to combat the heterosexist and homonegative climate of sport. Furthermore, psychologists, coaches, athletic trainers, sport psychology consultants, and others working with athletes who identify as lesbian may utilize this information to enhance their understanding of the experiences of lesbian athletes. Continued professional and personal dialogue, research, and practical recommendations regarding lesbian athletes are encouraged to promote change

Kinase suppressor of Ras 1 is not required for the generation of regulatory and memory T cells

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase is a critical regulator of the differentiation of helper and regulatory CD4+ T cells, as well as memory CD8+ T cells. In this study, we investigated the role of the ERK signaling pathway in regulating mTOR activation in T cells. We showed that activation of ERK following TCR engagement is required for sustained mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) activation. Absence of kinase suppressor of Ras 1 (KSR1), a scaffold protein of the ERK signaling pathway, or inhibition of ERK resulted in decreased mTORC1 activity following T cell activation. However, KSR1-deficient mice displayed normal regulatory CD4+ T cell development, as well as normal memory CD8+ T cell responses to LCMV and Listeria monocytogenes infection. These data indicate that despite its role in mTORC1 activation, KSR1 is not required in vivo for mTOR-dependent T cell differentiation

National provision for leadership development : The views of English special school head teachers and deputy headteachers

Literature on school leadership is mainly generic as is the national development\ud framework for English school leaders, presenting standardised models which cut across\ud all school contexts. Some theorists argue that successful leadership is dependent on an\ud understanding of the values, knowledge and practice identified with specific school\ud contexts (for instance Hersey and Blanchard, 1982; Thrupp and Willmott, 2003).\ud Although every school is different it is likely that the context of the special school is\ud distinct in terms of professional knowledge, internal context and an environment\ud characterised by unprecedented change, complexity, uncertainty and even hostility.\ud This study aims to ascertain if special school leaders in England feel that the generic\ud leadership programmes offered by the NCSL meet their specific professional\ud development needs within the context of current leadership theory.\ud A random sample of 50% of heads and deputy heads in English special schools was\ud surveyed by questionnaire in 2001 to seek their views on the value of NPQH,\ud Headlamp, LPSH and other professional development opportunities generating a 38%\ud response. Literature on special schools and on their leaders is extremely sparse and so\ud the findings of this study offer unprecedented insight into a previously over-looked\ud area: the views of special school leaders on the professional development they need to\ud lead their schools through a period of change.\ud Findings indicate that contrary to contingency theories which locate the development of\ud learning communities in the specific context of the school, half the respondents valued\ud generic professional development over context specific programmes. Leadership\ud development is seen as more important in determining effective headship than\ud management training and much more important than special needs training.\ud The study concludes that context specific issues cannot be ignored and therefore\ud participants from special schools on generic leadership programmes should be offered\ud additional modules or experiential learning through mentoring, networking and peer\ud learning groups as it is difficult to find common ground when all other participants are\ud from mainstream schools

Applications of GIS and Remote Sensing for the Characterization of Habitat for Threatened and Endangered Species

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies were used to identify and describe potential habitat for three species endemic to the Southwestern United States; the Golden-cheeked Warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia), the Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapillus), and the Texas kangaroo rat (Dipodomys elator). For each species, the computerized classification of digital satellite imagery was integrated with ancillary spatial information (e.g. soils, geology, and land use) to construct a data base to be used for ecological evaluation as well as habitat protection and management measures

Ionized o-, m-, and p-Difluorobenzene Dissociate Through Ring-Opened Intermediates: A TPEPICO Investigation

Threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) experiments have shown that o-, m-, and p-difluorobenzene ions dissociate via a common, ring-opened intermediate and not via ionized p-difluorobenzene. Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) modeling of the experimental breakdown curves yields activation energies for the initial isomerization of 4.48 ± 0.05, 4.55 ± 0.05, and 4.68 ± 0.05 eV for o-, m-, and p-difluorobenzene, respectively. These values place each ion at a similar absolute energy and thus similar transition states. A large positive ΔS‡ for each ion (ca 100 J K−1 mol−1) suggests a ring-opened structure for these transition states

Inhibition of the \u3cem\u3edapE\u3c/em\u3e-Encoded \u3cem\u3eN\u3c/em\u3e-Succinyl- ʟ, ʟ-diaminopimelic Acid Desuccinylase from \u3cem\u3eNeisseria meningitidis\u3c/em\u3e by ʟ-Captopril

Binding of the competitive inhibitor ʟ-captopril to the dapE-encoded N-succinyl-ʟ, ʟ-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase from Neisseria meningitidis (NmDapE) was examined by kinetic, spectroscopic, and crystallographic methods. ʟ-Captopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, was previously shown to be a potent inhibitor of the DapE from Haemophilus influenzae (HiDapE) with an IC50 of 3.3 μM and a measured Ki of 1.8 μM and displayed a dose-responsive antibiotic activity toward Escherichia coli. ʟ-Captopril is also a competitive inhibitor of NmDapE with a Ki of 2.8 μM. To examine the nature of the interaction of ʟ-captopril with the dinuclear active site of DapE, we have obtained electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) data for the enzymatically hyperactive Co(II)-substituted forms of both HiDapE and NmDapE. EPR and MCD data indicate that the two Co(II) ions in DapE are antiferromagnetically coupled, yielding an S = 0 ground state, and suggest a thiolate bridge between the two metal ions. Verification of a thiolate-bridged dinuclear complex was obtained by determining the three-dimensional X-ray crystal structure of NmDapE in complex with ʟ-captopril at 1.8 Å resolution. Combination of these data provides new insights into binding of ʟ-captopril to the active site of DapE enzymes as well as important inhibitor–active site residue interaction’s. Such information is critical for the design of new, potent inhibitors of DapE enzymes

Development of functional connectivity during adolescence:A longitudinal study using an action-observation paradigm

Successful interpersonal interactions rely on an ability to read the emotional states of others and to modulate one's own behavior in response. The actions of others serve as valuable social stimuli in this respect, offering the observer an insight into the actor's emotional state. Social cognition continues to mature throughout adolescence. Here we assess longitudinally the development of functional connectivity during early adolescence within two neural networks implicated in social cognition: one network of brain regions consistently engaged during action observation and another one associated with mentalizing. Using fMRI, we reveal a greater recruitment of the social-emotional network during the observation of angry hand actions in male relative to female adolescents. These findings are discussed in terms of known sex differences in adolescent social behavior