Baby It’s Cold Outside: Use and Interpretation of Sexual Coercion in Relation to Psychopathic Traits

Research has demonstrated that psychopathic traits are associated with risk taking spread across a variety of domains. One domain concerns sexual risk-taking, usually conceptualized as unsafe sex and promiscuity. However, psychopaths also may engage in sexual violence, including the use of coercive tactics in order to obtain sex. The present study was designed in two parts (counterbalanced) to further our understanding of the relation between psychopathic traits and sexual coercion. Part 1 will investigate the association between psychopathic traits, sexual risk, and use of both overt (e.g., using physical force, use of drugs or alcohol) and covert (e.g., massaging, sweet talking, guilt-tripping) sexual coercion strategies. Part 2 will examine whether psychopathic traits alter perceptions of sexual coercion. In particular, participants will be presented with a vignette that varies according to the level of sexual coercion (low/high), type of sexual coercion (verbal/physical/both), and whether sexual consent was granted following the use of these strategies or not. Following the vignette, participants will be asked to complete a judgment questionnaire concerning perceptions of consent, level of violence/coercion, criminal culpability, guilt, and sentencing severity. We predict that psychopathic traits will be associated with greater endorsement of use of sexual coercion, and a response pattern that indicates minimization of violence and blame for the vignettes.   Faculty Mentor: Kristine Peace Department: Psychology (Honours

Sputnik Reevaluated: Pedagogic Debate in Connecticut Secondary Schools, 1956-1964

This thesis examines the reaction to the October 1957 Sputnik launch in the Connecticut secondary schools. In addition, the paper analyzes the rhetoric used by politicians, teachers, and parents in the state. Important debates regarding the appropriate scope of federal control over education and the necessary pedagogic method to win the Cold War were had around Connecticut in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Connecticut educators managed to retain local decision-making ability in their individual schools, but pedagogic methods and curricular structures were changed dramatically in Connecticut as a result of the Sputnik launch.Department of History, The Ohio State UniversityNo embarg

Ruminal Protein Degradation in Beef Cattle

In Exp. 1, five ruminally cannulated steers were used in a 5 x 5 Latin square design experiment to determine the effects of increasing urea level on intake, nutrient digestion, nitrogen balance and ruminal kinetics. Isocaloric and isonitrogenous steam-flaked corn diets with urea concentrations of 0.0, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, or 2.0% (DM basis) were offered ad libitum to steers. Total urine and feces, and ruminal fluid were collected. In Exp. 2, nine ruminally-cannulated steers were used in a 6 � 6 Latin square design experiment to evaluate three roughage:concentrate (70:30, 40:60, and 10:90) ratios with or without monensin on the extent and rate of in situ ruminal degradation of soybean hulls (SH), wheat middlings (WM), dried distillers grains with solubles (DDG), cotton seed meal (CSM), soybean meal (SBM), and porcine blood meal (BM), and on ruminal kinetics.Findings and Conclusions: In Exp. 1, dietary urea level did not affect (P>0.10) DM intake. Urea level did not affect (P>0.10) fecal output of OM and starch, or OM, N, or starch digestibility. Urea concentration did not affect (P>0.10) total N balance, N balance as a percent of N intake, or liquid dilution rate and pH. Our data suggests that urea levels up to 2% of diet DM can be used in steam-flaked corn finishing diets without altering intake, nutrient digestion, or ruminal kinetics. In Exp. 2, monensin had no affect (P>0.10) on DM, OM, NDF or starch intake, output or digestibility, or total VFA concentration. Monensin decreased (P<0.01) the N and DM B fraction of in situ ruminal degradation and the rate of N and DM degradation, and increased the C fraction of N and DM. Ruminal protein degradation was decreased by 6.7% (P<0.01) for monensin supplementation, suggesting monensin has a protein sparing effect. Dry matter and OM intake, starch digestibility and molar proportions of individual VFA did not differ among roughage:concentrate ratios. Fecal OM and NDF output decreased (P<0.01), and digestibility and total VFA concentration increased (P<0.01) with increasing level of concentrate. As level of concentrate increased, the B fraction and the rate of degradation decreased and the C fraction increased, resulting in decreased DM and N ruminal degradation (P<0.01). All of the byproducts responded similarly except blood meal, which remained relatively constant across treatments. Because dietary factors affect in situ degradation, in situ incubations should be conducted in rumens of animals that are consuming the diet of interest.Department of Animal Scienc