Domestic Violence Court Intervention Project

This research study examines the effectiveness of two domestic violence interventions to increase shelter use among women in a court advocacy program in upstate New York. The study found a significant advantage to offering a brief counseling component during an intervention, as opposed to only handing out an agency brochure and verbalizing shelter services to participants. Through qualitative inquiry rooted in Grounded Theory, the study accesses the impact of the criminal justice setting, direct observation, and the unstructured interview in acquiring pertinent screening information from victims. The study also uses Prochaska and DiClemente=s (1982) AStages of Change@ to better gage the readiness of each victim to make substantial and lasting changes in their relationship with the abuser. The study uncovered three potential areas for future research such as expanding service options for those victims who are not ready or willing to extricate themselves from the abuser. Second, preventing domestic violence earlier by directing preventative programs at children. Third, expanding what domestic violence workers look for during the screening process to measure the feasibility of including both family systems in the treatment plan especially if children are involved

Modern Erosion Rates and Loss of Coastal Features and Sites, Beaufort Sea Coastline, Alaska

This study presents modern erosion rate measurements based upon vertical aerial photography captured in 1955, 1979, and 2002 for a 100 km segment of the Beaufort Sea coastline. Annual erosion rates from 1955 to 2002 averaged 5.6 m a-1. However, mean erosion rates increased from 5.0 m a-1 in 1955–79 to 6.2 m a-1 in 1979–2002. Furthermore, from the first period to the second, erosion rates increased at 60% (598) of the 992 sites analyzed, decreased at 31% (307), and changed less than ± 30 cm at 9% (87). Historical observations and quantitative studies over the past 175 years allowed us to place our erosion rate measurements into a longer-term context. Several of the coastal features along this stretch of coastline received Western place names during the Dease and Simpson expedition in 1837, and the majority of those features had been lost by the early 1900s as a result of coastline erosion, suggesting that erosion has been active over at least the historical record. Incorporation of historical and modern observations also allowed us to detect the loss of both cultural and historical sites and modern infrastructure. U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps reveal a number of known cultural and historical sites, as well as sites with modern infrastructure constructed as recently as the 1950s, that had disappeared by the early 2000s as a result of coastal erosion. We were also able to identify sites that are currently being threatened by an encroaching coastline. Our modern erosion rate measurements can potentially be used to predict when a historical site or modern infrastructure will be affected if such erosion rates persist.Cette étude présente les mesures de taux d’érosion contemporains établies en fonction de photographies aériennes verticales prises en 1955, en 1979 et en 2002 sur un segment de 100 km du littoral de la mer de Beaufort. Entre 1955 et 2002, les taux d’érosion annuels ont atteint 5,6 m a-1 en moyenne. Cependant, les taux d’érosion moyens se sont accrus pour passer de 5,0 m a-1 pendant les années 1955- 1979 à 6,2 m a-1 dans les années 1979 - 2002. Par ailleurs, de la première période à la deuxième période, les taux d’érosion ont augmenté à 60 % (598) des 992 sites analysés, ont diminué dans le cas de 31 % (307) des sites, et changé de moins de ± 30 cm à 9 % (87) des sites. Les observations historiques et les études quantitatives recueillies au cours des 175 dernières années nous ont permis de placer nos mesures des taux d’érosion dans un contexte à plus long terme. Plusieurs des caractéristiques côtières le long de cette étendue du littoral ont reçu des noms d’endroits typiques de l’Ouest dans le cadre de l’expédition de Dease et Simpson en 1837, et la majorité de ces caractéristiques avaient disparu vers le début des années 1900 en raison de l’érosion côtière. Cela laisse donc entendre que l’érosion s’est à tout le moins manifestée pendant la période visée par les données historiques. Grâce à l’utilisation d’observations historiques et d’observations contemporaines, nous avons pu déceler la perte de sites culturels et historiques de même que d’infrastructures modernes. Les cartes topographiques de l’U.S. Geological Survey révèlent un certain nombre de sites culturels et historiques connus, ainsi que des sites dotés d’infrastructures modernes datant des années 1950, sites et infrastructures qui avaient disparu vers le début des années 2000 en raison de l’érosion côtière. Nous avons également été en mesure de cerner des sites qui sont présentement menacés par un littoral qui empiète sur le terrain. Nos mesures des taux d’érosion contemporains pourraient éventuellement servir à déterminer à quel moment un site historique ou une infrastructure moderne sera touché advenant que des taux d’érosion similaires persistent

Connections: A Journal of Public Education Advocacy - Fall 2003, Vol. 10, No. 1

President's Message - As the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education approaches, and state budget shortfalls continue, Wendy D. Puriefoy calls for "no child left behind" to become a sacred national commitment.Senator Kennedy on the Vision of Public Education - Sen. Edward M. Kennedy argues that the funding made available for school reform must be aligned with the goals set by NCLB.Making It Happen - Legal Defense Fund President Elaine R. Jones says courts must advance the cause of equity in schools to banish remnants of segregation that linger long after Brown.Viewpoint - Jack Jennings, director of the Center on Education Policy, played a role in implementing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in the 1960s. Today he examines the policy and funding parallels between the original act and NCLB.Conversations - Peter McWalters, president-elect of the Council of Chief State School Officers; Angela Z. Monson, Oklahoma state senator; and Ted Sanders, president of the Education Commission of the States, discuss the many challenges states face in meeting NCLB requirements.End Notes - Richard Navarro, UNICEF's education chief, encourages international support to help Afghanistan rebuild its education system

Advancing Landscape Change Research through the Incorporation of Iñupiaq Knowledge

Indigenous knowledge is a valuable but under-used source of information relevant to landscape change research. We interviewed Iñupiat elders, hunters, and other knowledge-holders in the villages of Barrow and Atqasuk on the western Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska to gain further insight into the processes governing the ubiquitous lakes and the dynamics of landscape change in this region of continuous permafrost. The interviews provided a suite of information related to lakes and associated drained lake basins, as well as knowledge on landforms, environmental change, human events, and other phenomena. We were able to corroborate many observations independently and verify the timing of several large and significant lake drainage events using either aerial photography or remotely sensed time series. Data collected have been incorporated into a geodatabase to develop a multi-layer Geographic Information System that will be useful for local and scientific communities. This research demonstrates that indigenous knowledge can reveal a new understanding of landscape changes on the Arctic Coastal Plain in general and on lake processes in particular. We advocate ongoing, community-oriented research throughout the Arctic as a means of assessing and responding to the consequences of rapid environmental change.Les connaissances indigènes représentent une source d’information à la fois précieuse et sous-utilisée en matière de recherche sur les changements caractérisant le paysage. Nous avons interviewé des aînés de la nation Iñupiat, de même que des chasseurs et des personnes qui possèdent des connaissances dans les villages de Barrow et d’Atqasuk sur la plaine côtière occidentale de l’Arctique du nord de l’Alaska afin de mieux comprendre les processus qui gouvernent les lacs ubiquistes et la dynamique du changement de paysage dans cette région au pergélisol permanent. Les entrevues nous ont permis de recueillir une série de renseignements se rapportant aux lacs et aux bassins lacustres asséchés connexes de même que des connaissances sur les reliefs, le changement environnemental, les événements humains et d’autres phénomènes. Nous avons réussi à corroborer de nombreuses observations de manière indépendante et à vérifier le moment auquel plusieurs grands et importants événements d’assèchement lacustre se sont produits et ce, à l’aide de photographies aériennes ou de séries chronologiques télédétectées. Les données ainsi recueillies ont été intégrées à une banque de données cartographiques afin de permettre l’élaboration d’un système d’information géographique multicouche qui sera utile aux communautés locales et scientifiques. Cette recherche démontre que les connaissances indigènes peuvent aider à mieux comprendre les changements de paysage sur la plaine côtière de l’Arctique en général, et les processus lacustres en particulier. Nous favorisons donc la réalisation de recherches permanentes et axées sur la communauté dans l’Arctique pour évaluer les conséquences du changement environnemental rapide et les façons d’y réagir

Which comforting messages really work best? A different perspective on Lemieux and Tighe’s “receiver perspective”

Abstract OnlyThis article responds critically to a recent article by Lemieux and Tighe (Communication Research Reports, 21, 144–153, 2004) in which the authors conclude that recipients of comforting efforts prefer messages that exhibit a moderate rather than high level of person centeredness. It is argued that an erroneous assumption made by Lemieux and Tighe about the status of “receiver perspective” research on the comforting process led to faulty interpretations of the data and unwarranted conclusions about recipient preferences regarding comforting messages. Alternative interpretations of Lemieux and Tighe's data are presented; these are guided by the extensive previous research that has assessed evaluations and outcomes of comforting messages

The deformation behavior and mechanical properties of chondrocytes in articular cartilage

INTRODUCTION: Chondrocytes in articular cartilage utilize mechanical signals to regulate their metabolic activity. A fundamental step in determining the role of various biophysical factors in this process is to characterize the local mechanical environment of the chondrocyte under physiological loading. METHODS: A combined experimental and theoretical approach was used to quantify the in-situ mechanical environment of the chondrocyte. The mechanical properties of enzymatically-isolated chondrocytes and their pericellular matrix (PCM) were determined using micropipette aspiration. The values were used in a finite element model of the chondron (the chondrocyte and its PCM) within articular cartilage to predict the stress-strain and fluid flow microenvironment of the cell. The theoretical predictions were validated using three-dimensional confocal microscopy of chondrocyte deformation in situ. RESULTS: Chondrocytes were found to behave as a viscoelastic solid material with a Young's modulus of approximately 0.6 kPa. The elastic modulus of the PCM was significantly higher than that of the chondrocyte, but several orders of magnitude lower than that of the extracellular matrix. Theoretical modeling of cell-matrix interactions suggests the mechanical environment of the chondrocyte is highly non-uniform and is dependent on the viscoelastic properties of the PCM. Excellent agreement was observed between the theoretical predictions and the direct measurements of chondrocyte deformation, but only if the model incorporated the PCM. CONCLUSIONS: These findings imply that the PCM plays a functional biomechanical role in articular cartilage, and alterations in PCM properties with aging or disease will significantly affect the biophysical environment of the chondrocyte

From planning to execution to the future: An overview of a concerted effort to enhance biological control in apple, pear, and walnut orchards in the western U.S.

We embarked on a large project designed to help enhance biological control in apple, pear and walnut orchards in the western U.S., where management programs were in the midst of a transition from older organo-phosphate insecticides to mating disruption and newer reduced-risk insecticides. A “pesticide replacement therapy” approach resulted in unstable management programs with unpredictable outbreaks of spider mites and aphids. Our project was designed to provide growers and pest managers with information on the effects of newer pesticide chemistries on a suite of representative natural enemies in both the laboratory and field, potential of new monitoring tools using herbivore-induced plant volatiles and floral volatiles, phenology of the key natural enemy species, economic consequences of using an enhanced biological control program, and value of an outreach program to get project outcomes into the hands of decision-makers. We present an overview of both the successes and failures of the project and of new projects that have spun off from this project to further enhance biological control in our systems in the near future

Oedema extension distance in intracerebral haemorrhage: Association with baseline characteristics and long-term outcome

Introduction: Oedema extension distance is a derived parameter that may reduce sample size requirements to demonstrate reduction in perihaematomal oedema in early phase acute intracerebral haemorrhage trials. We aimed to identify baseline predictors of oedema extension distance and its association with clinical outcomes. Patients and methods: Using Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive-Intracerebral Haemorrhage, first Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage Trial, and Minimally Invasive Surgery and rtPA for Intracerebral Hemorrhage Evacuation II datasets, we calculated oedema extension distance at baseline and at 72 h measured using computed tomography. Using linear regression, we tested for associations between baseline characteristics and oedema extension distance at 72 h. Ordinal regression (underlying assumptions validated) was used to test for associations between oedema extension distance at baseline and 72 h and oedema extension distance change between baseline and 72 h, and modified Rankin scale scores at 90 days, adjusted for baseline and 72 h prognostic factors. Results: There were 1028 intracerebral haemorrhage cases with outcome data for analyses. Mean (standard deviation, SD) oedema extension distance at 72 h was 0.54 (0.26) cm, and mean oedema extension distance difference from baseline (EED72–0) was 0.24 (0.18) cm. Oedema extension distance at 72 h was greater with increasing baseline haematoma volume and baseline oedema extension distance. Increasing age, lobar haemorrhage, and intraventricular haemorrhage were independently associated with EED72–0. In multifactorial ordinal regression analysis, EED72–0 was associated with worse modified Rankin scale scores at 90 days (odds ratio 1.96, 95% confidence interval 1.00–3.82). Discussion: Increase in oedema extension distance over 72 h is independently associated with decreasing functional outcome at 90 days. Oedema extension distance may be a useful surrogate outcome measure in early phase trials of anti-oedema or anti-inflammatory treatments in intracerebral haemorrhage

FTO and MC4R Gene Variants Are Associated with Obesity in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the leading cause of anovulatory infertility in women. It is also associated with metabolic disturbances that place women at increased risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes. There is strong evidence for familial clustering of PCOS and a genetic predisposition. However, the gene(s) responsible for the PCOS phenotypes have not been elucidated. This two-phase family-based and case-control genetic study was designed to address the question of whether SNPs identified as susceptibility loci for obesity in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are also associated with PCOS and elevated BMI. Members of 439 families having at least one offspring with PCOS were genotyped for 15 SNPs previously shown to be associated with obesity. Linkage and association with PCOS was assessed using the transmission/disequilibrium test (TDT). These SNPs were also analyzed in an independent case-control study involving 395 women with PCOS and 176 healthy women with regular menstrual cycles. Only one of these 15 SNPs (rs2815752 in NEGR1) was found to have a nominally significant association with PCOS (χ2 = 6.11, P = 0.013), but this association failed to replicate in the case-control study. While not associated with PCOS itself, five SNPs in FTO and two in MC4R were associated with BMI as assessed with a quantitative-TDT analysis, several of which replicated association with BMI in the case-control cohort. These findings demonstrate that certain SNPs associated with obesity contribute to elevated BMI in PCOS, but do not appear to play a major role in PCOS per se. These findings support the notion that PCOS phenotypes are a consequence of an oligogenic/polygenic mechanism