Evaluating perceptions of sexual coercion: The role of personality, gender, and motive in Birth Control Sabotage

Public attitudes are considered influential in terms of determining criminal justice responses to offending behaviour, however, research into sexual coercion and specifically Birth Control Sabotage (BCS) has received little attention. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of dark triad traits, gender, and motive on perceptions of BCS. Participants (N = 273) were recruited from a general population sample. All participants completed the Short Dark Triad (SD3) and read four vignettes relating to BCS, where perpetrator gender and function of sabotage (motive) were manipulated. Participants responded to these vignettes on a scale examining victim blame, criminality and victim impact. The results are discussed with reference to previous research exploring victim blame in other aspects of non-consensual sexual behaviour. As one of the first studies in this area, possible real-world implications and future directions are discussed in terms of jury decision making and victim support. Practical Impact Statement: Practice impact statement: This article assists professionals in developing educational strategies and policies for how police and the legal system approach birth control sabotage and reproductive autonomy by explaining how attributing responsibility to victims and perpetrators and the need for police intervention is related to gender, intent and perceptions of affirmative consent

Prescribing non-opioid drugs in end-stage kidney disease

Palliative care services are increasingly involved in the care of patients with chronic kidney disease, either alone or as a comorbid condition. Because renal impairment often changes the pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic effects of a drug, this presents a challenge for prescribers. This article provides guidance for prescribing non-opioid drugs commonly used for palliative care symptom relief in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD; i.e. Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 5, eGFR <15mL/min/1.73m²) whether or not they are receiving dialysis. Opioids are not included, nor symptom relief in the last hours–days of life, because specific guidance is available elsewhere. Tables have been produced to highlight, when possible, the most, intermediate and least ‘renally safe’ drugs for chronic use. However, sometimes the cautious use of a familiar drug may be preferable to an unfamiliar (albeit ‘renally safer’) one. Similarly, we do not advocate the automatic switching of patients to a ‘renally safer’ drug when an alternative is proving satisfactory. Finally, this article aims to complement and not replace specialist renal unit guidance

The Grizzly, October 13, 2016

Annual Safety Report Released • Ma Tones Brings Music to Collegeville • Come to Me Campaign Raises Awareness • International Perspective: French TA Excited to Learn What it\u27s Really Like to Live in the U.S. • Students Unite for Worker Justice • Partnership in Politics • Opinions: New Face of Change: A Defense of Millennials; Students Need to Understand Consent • UC Athletes Give Back to Their Community • Rafter Tackles Milestonehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1652/thumbnail.jp

A survey tool for measuring evidence-based decision making capacity in public health agencies

BACKGROUND: While increasing attention is placed on using evidence-based decision making (EBDM) to improve public health, there is little research assessing the current EBDM capacity of the public health workforce. Public health agencies serve a wide range of populations with varying levels of resources. Our survey tool allows an individual agency to collect data that reflects its unique workforce. METHODS: Health department leaders and academic researchers collaboratively developed and conducted cross-sectional surveys in Kansas and Mississippi (USA) to assess EBDM capacity. Surveys were delivered to state- and local-level practitioners and community partners working in chronic disease control and prevention. The core component of the surveys was adopted from a previously tested instrument and measured gaps (importance versus availability) in competencies for EBDM in chronic disease. Other survey questions addressed expectations and incentives for using EBDM, self-efficacy in three EBDM skills, and estimates of EBDM within the agency. RESULTS: In both states, participants identified communication with policymakers, use of economic evaluation, and translation of research to practice as top competency gaps. Self-efficacy in developing evidence-based chronic disease control programs was lower than in finding or using data. Public health practitioners estimated that approximately two-thirds of programs in their agency were evidence-based. Mississippi participants indicated that health department leaders' expectations for the use of EBDM was approximately twice that of co-workers' expectations and that the use of EBDM could be increased with training and leadership prioritization. CONCLUSIONS: The assessment of EBDM capacity in Kansas and Mississippi built upon previous nationwide findings to identify top gaps in core competencies for EBDM in chronic disease and to estimate a percentage of programs in U.S. health departments that are evidence-based. The survey can serve as a valuable tool for other health departments and non-governmental organizations to assess EBDM capacity within their own workforce and to assist in the identification of approaches that will enhance the uptake of EBDM processes in public health programming and policymaking. Localized survey findings can provide direction for focusing workforce training programs and can indicate the types of incentives and policies that could affect the culture of EBDM in the workplace

The Grizzly, October 6, 2016

How do UC Disability? • Ursinus\u27 Student Radio Renaissance • Get Ready to Vote, Ursinus! • Students Adjust to Philly Experience • CSCG Speaker Dissects Affordable Care Act • Schroeder Takes Love for American Studies Abroad • An Electronic Spin on Music • Opinion: Use Your Vote and Use it Wisely This November; Here\u27s What it\u27s Like to be a Republican at UC • Life of a Student Athlete at Ursinus: From Practice to Class • Kicking it Into Overdrivehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1651/thumbnail.jp

A new genome allows the identification of genes associated with natural variation in aluminium tolerance in Brachiaria grasses

Toxic concentrations of aluminium cations and low phosphorus availability are the main yield-limiting factors in acidic soils, which represent half of the potentially available arable land. Brachiaria grasses, which are commonly sown as forage in the tropics because of their resilience and low demand for nutrients, show greater tolerance to high concentrations of aluminium cations (Al3+) than most other grass crops. In this work, we explored the natural variation in tolerance to Al3+ between high and low tolerant Brachiaria species and characterized their transcriptional differences during stress. We identified three QTLs (quantitative trait loci) associated with root vigour during Al3+ stress in their hybrid progeny. By integrating these results with a new Brachiaria reference genome, we identified 30 genes putatively responsible for Al3+ tolerance in Brachiaria. We observed differential expression during stress of genes involved in RNA translation, response signalling, cell wall composition, and vesicle location homologous to aluminiuminduced proteins involved in limiting uptake or localizing the toxin. However, there was limited regulation of malate transporters in Brachiaria, which suggests that exudation of organic acids and other external tolerance mechanisms, common in other grasses, might not be relevant in Brachiaria. The contrasting regulation of RNA translation and response signalling suggests that response timing is critical in high Al3+-tolerant Brachiaria

Crosslinker Copolymerization for Property Control in Inverse Vulcanization.

Sulfur is an underused by-product of the petrochemicals industry. Recent research into inverse vulcanization has shown how this excess sulfur can be transformed into functional polymers, by stabilization with organic crosslinkers. For these interesting new materials to realize their potential for applications, more understanding and control of their physical properties is needed. Here we report four new terpolymers prepared from sulfur and two distinct alkene monomers that can be predictively tuned in glass transition, molecular weight, solubility, mechanical properties, and color