Sexual Violence Prevention and University Athletics: Can Foundational Education Improve Moral Engagement in Prevention Strategies?

Many high-profile reports of sexual assault have been connected to university athletic programs. Furthermore, athletes are perceived as leaders on campus. Consequently, not only should athletic programs be targeted, university athletes are well placed to be leaders in sexual violence prevention efforts on campus, such as in bystander intervention training (BIT). However, there have been few evaluations of BIT with university athletes. Furthermore, research has not explored the additional effects of foundational education on BIT. Therefore, the current study evaluated an online sexual violence prevention program with university athletes who were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) a group that received BIT, (2) a group that received foundational education plus BIT, and (3) a control group. Participants were surveyed over three waves on (1) alcohol and consent knowledge; (2) sexual violence knowledge; (3) moral disengagement; (4) rape myth acceptance; (5) consent beliefs and behaviours; and (6) bystander intentions. It was hypothesized group 2 would have more positive changes than groups 1 and 3 towards sexual violence prevention. Furthermore, it was expected the relationship between moral disengagement and bystander intentions would be moderated by foundational education. At pre-test, foundational education was a moderator of moral disengagement on bystander attitudes, R2 = .33, F(7, 63) = 4.48, p < .001 At post-test, group 2 did not have significantly better outcomes than groups 1 or 3. However, expected changes were revealed over time for group 1 in moral disengagement (U = 50.00, z = -2.02, p = .045, r = -.37) and bystander attitudes (U = 142.50, z = 2.18, p = .03, r = .40) and for group 2 in alcohol and consent knowledge (U = 2.00, z = -2.921, p = .002, r = -.73), positive consent attitudes (U = 48.50, z = 2.39, p = .01, r = .60) and bystander attitudes (U = 45.50, z = 2.05, p = .04, r = .51). Group 3 experienced no significant changes across timepoints. Future research should continue exploring the additive effects of foundational education on BIT and strategies that can foster participant engagement in online sexual violence prevention programs

Infrared light extinction by charged dielectric core-coat particles

We study the effect of surplus electrons on the infrared extinction of dielectric particles with a core-coat structure and propose to use it for an optical measurement of the particle charge in a dusty plasma. The particles consist of an inner core with negative and an outer coat with positive electron affinity. Both the core and the coat give rise to strong transverse optical phonon resonances, leading to anomalous light scattering in the infrared. Due to the radial profile of the electron affinity electrons accumulate in the coat region making the infrared extinction of this type of particles very charge-sensitive, in particular, the extinction due to a resonance arising solely due to the core-coat structure. The maximum of this resonance is in the far-infrared and responds to particle charges realizable in ordinary dusty laboratory plasmas.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure

Effect of Substituents in the Formation and Reactions of Certain Ethers

48. Effect of substituents In a previous report on this study it was found by Raiford and Colbert [Jour. Am. Chem. Soc., 48, 2652 (1926)] that the presence of a nitro radical in diphenyl ether interferes with the entrance of bromine to a much greater degree than could have been predicted on the ground of steric hindrance. Owing to lack of time the structures of several derivatives prepared to test this view were left undetermined for future study. In the present study these have been determined in several cases and a number of other new halogenated derivatives prepared. These experiments have been conducted in the presence of aqueous alkali, a method which was in part standardized and designated in the previous work as the wet method. In the present work this process has been shown to be capable of two modifications, each with somewhat specific applications which can, in general, be predicted

Method and apparatus for removing unwanted reflections from an interferometer

A device for eliminating unwanted reflections from refractive optical elements in an optical system is provided. The device operates to prevent desired multiple fringe patterns from being obscured by reflections from refractive elements positioned in proximity to a focal plane of the system. The problem occurs when an optical beam is projected into, and reflected back out of, the optical system. Surfaces of the refractive elements reflect portions of the beam which interfere with portions of the beam which are transmitted through the refractive elements. Interference between the reflected and transmitted portions of the beam produce multiple fringe sets which tend to obscure desired interference fringes. With the refractive optical element in close proximity to the focal plane of the system, the undesired reflected light reflects at an angle 180 degrees opposite from the desired transmitted beam. The device exploits the 180-degree offset, or rotational shear, of the undesired reflected light by providing an optical stop for blocking one-half of the cross-section of the test beam. By blocking one-half of the test beam, the undesired offset beam is blocked, while the returning transmitted beam passes into the optical system unaffected. An image is thereby produced from only the desired transmitted beam. In one configuration, the blocking device includes a semicircular aperture which is caused to rotate about the axis of the test beam. By rotating, all portions of the test beam are cyclically projected into the optical system to thereby produce a complete test image. The rotating optical stop is preferably caused to rotate rapidly to eliminate flicker in the resulting image

Early developing syntactic knowledge influences sequential statistical learning in infancy

Adults\u2019 linguistic background influences their sequential statistical learning of an artificial language characterized by conflicting forward-going and backward-going transitional probabilities. English-speaking adults favor backward-going transitional probabilities, consistent with the head-initial structure of English. Korean-speaking adults favor forward-going transitional probabilities, consistent with the head-final structure of Korean. These experiments assess when infants develop this directional bias. In the experiments, 7-month-old infants showed no bias for forward-going or backward-going regularities. By 13 \u202fmonths, however, English-learning infants favored backward-going transitional probabilities over forward-going transitional probabilities, consistent with English-speaking adults. This indicates that statistical learning rapidly adapts to the predominant syntactic structure of the native language. Such adaptation may facilitate subsequent learning by highlighting statistical structures that are likely to be informative in the native linguistic environment

Reducing Asymmetry in Countering Unmanned Aerial Systems

Excerpt from the Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Acquisition Research SymposiumCurrent Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) rely heavily on low-efficiency techniques such as broadband radio frequency (RF) jamming and high-intensity lasers. Not only do such techniques come at the cost of second and third order effects—such as collateral jamming risks to operational systems, a large RF footprint, and high energy use—but they also present an asymmetry between threat and response. Many commercial, off-the-shelf UAS devices are inexpensive compared to the C-UAS systems historically under focus in Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition. This work argues for leveling that asymmetry by exploring C-UAS autonomy-on-autonomy options by using cyberattack payload capabilities residing on a UAS. By reducing the attack surface to focus on a particular target, these cyber techniques provide scalpel-edged control to the operator, reducing risk to own systems, RF footprint, and collateral damage.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Global tectonic studies: Hotspots and anomalous topography

Volcanic activity on Earth and its secular variations are compared with that on other terrestrial planets. Activity at divergent, transform, and convergent plate margins is described with particular emphasis on hot spots and flood basalts. The timing and causing of uplifting above 500 meters, which in not associated with either plate boundaries or the normal nonplate margin edges of continents is considered with particular focus on the Guyana Highlands in southern Venezuela and western British Guiana, and the Brazilian Highlands in the central, eastern, and southern parts of the country. The mode and mechanism of plateau uplifting and the re-elevation of old mountain belts and subsidence of intra-continental basins are also discussed