Analyzing the validity of self-reports of emotional responding using an electronic device

The assessment of internal behaviors such as thoughts, feelings, or physiological symptoms not seen by the naked eye are often assessed with indirect measures such as self-reports and questionnaires given the lack of accessibility and observations by outside observers. The self-management of human behaviors, including internal events, carries socially valid implications for an individual’s quality of life, including children and individuals with neurological, developmental, and intellectual disabilities. This study aimed to address the following question: are there valid measurement procedures (e.g., collecting data on physiological responses) to analyze the correspondence between self-reports of emotional states and observable and measurable overt behaviors? To address the limitations in measurement validity of private, covert behaviors, the primary researcher of this study conducted a correspondence check of these three measurements with two participants with autism spectrum disorder in the following manner: collected heart rate data of the participants via a wearable device (Fitbit® Charge 5), conducted direct observation and data recording of overt behaviors, and collected data on the participants’ self-report of their emotional or physiological state via a 5-point rating scale across several time periods per session. Results of the study showed a strong positive correlation between observer and participant ratings from the 5-point rating scales; however, physical activity of the participants seemed to consistently mask true heart rate readings of the emotional responses. More research can be done on the correspondence of these three variables and their implications for guiding self-management programs of private events

From acceptance to graduation: Supporting students in recovery throughout their college experience

Students entering universities while in recovery from addiction face unique challenges, such as transitioning from a high school to a university, adapting to life after treatment, and/or transferring from a junior college or different university setting. Students in recovery also encounter challenges upon graduation including addressing gaps of employment on resumes, interviewing skills, and general professionalism. Cougars in Recovery offers support to students in recovery at the University of Houston in their academic journey through the use of programs including Source of Strength, offering peer to peer mentorship within the community and Career Ready Coogs, providing support for students approaching graduation with professional development resources. Longitudinal data is still being collected to demonstrate the influence of Source of Strength on Cougars in Recovery member retention and how Career Ready Coogs influences professional growth and preparation for graduation. Peer mentorship and professional development programs can help students in recovery navigate the challenges of the collegiate experience and entering the professional world

Making On-Demand Routing Efficient with Route-Request Aggregation

In theory, on-demand routing is very attractive for mobile ad hoc networks (MANET), because it induces signaling only for those destinations for which there is data traffic. However, in practice, the signaling overhead of existing on-demand routing protocols becomes excessive as the rate of topology changes increases due to mobility or other causes. We introduce the first on-demand routing approach that eliminates the main limitation of on-demand routing by aggregating route requests (RREQ) for the same destinations. The approach can be applied to any existing on-demand routing protocol, and we introduce the Ad-hoc Demand-Aggregated Routing with Adaptation (ADARA) as an example of how RREQ aggregation can be used. ADARA is compared to AODV and OLSR using discrete-event simulations, and the results show that aggregating RREQs can make on-demand routing more efficient than existing proactive or on-demand routing protocols

A Retrospective Study of Teen Pregnancy in West Virginia from 2003 -2008: A Descriptive Analysis

In 2006, West Virginia surpassed the national average birth rate for teens ages 15 to 19 years old. Through the use of the state wide Birth Score data, this article presents a retrospective examination of 8,094 teens who gave birth in West Virginia during the years of 2003-2008. Descriptive data on health issues such as prenatal care, infant birth weight and mortality, as well as demographic characteristics, such a racial background and Medicaid status are presented. Implications of these health issues are discussed along with special considerations for health providers who work within the Appalachian region

Need-Based Aid, Participation in Education Abroad, and Program Type Choice

Although education abroad in the US offers participants demonstrable benefits, direct and opportunity costs are cited as primary barriers to broader participation. Yet the degree to which low-income status deters studying abroad and whether additional need-based aid beyond Pell Grants encourages participation remain uncertain. Moreover, not all education abroad programs are equivalent in terms of costs. This study is the first to examine whether need-based aid recipients differentially choose programs of varying duration or programs offered by various provider types. The sample consisted of 221,981 students from 36 institutions of the Consortium for Analysis of Student Success through International Education (CASSIE). Within that sample, 60,477 received Pell grants. Of those recipients, 39% received additional need-based aid. Regression models controlling for student background and context indicated that Pell grant recipients were 3% less likely to study abroad than peers receiving no such aid, and receipt of additional aid increased likelihood by 1% relative to Pell-only recipients. While aid was unrelated to study abroad duration, low-income students were less likely to study with third-party providers. The findings invite financial aid officers to determine thresholds of additional aid necessary to increase participation and to collaborate more systematically with counterparts in international education

100 Native Forage Grasses in 11 Southern States

no. 389 (1971