Digital Commons Network^™

Developing A Video-Based Ehealth Intervention For Hiv-Positive Gay, Bisexual, And Other Men Who Have Sex With Men: Study Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Sabina Hirshfield, Martin J. Downing Jr., Jeffrey T. Parsons, Christina Grov, Rachel J. Gordon, Steven T. Houang, Roberta Scheinmann, Patrick S. Sullivan, Irene S. Yoon, Ian Anderson, Mary Ann Chiasson

Publications and Research

Background: Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) accounted for 67% of new US human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in 2012; however, less than 40% of HIV-positive GBMSM are virally suppressed. Preventing transmission from virally unsuppressed men who have condomless anal sex (CAS) with serodiscordant partners is a public health imperative. New HIV infections in GBMSM are attributed in part to online access to sex partners; therefore, low-cost eHealth interventions are a unique opportunity to reach men where they meet partners.

Objective: To describe the protocol of a randomized controlled trial evaluating whether video-based messaging delivered …

Somatic And Vicarious Pain Are Represented By Dissociable Multivariate Brain Patterns, Anjali Krishnan, Choong-Wan Woo, Luke J. Chang, Luka Ruzic, Xiaosi Gu, Marina Lopez-Sola, Philip L. Jackson, Jesus Pujol, Jin Fan, Tor D. Wager

Publications and Research

Understanding how humans represent others’ pain is critical for understanding pro-social behavior. ‘Shared experience’ theories propose common brain representations for somatic and vicarious pain, but other evidence suggests that specialized circuits are required to experience others’ suffering. Combining functional neuroimaging with multivariate pattern analyses, we identified dissociable patterns that predicted somatic (high versus low: 100%) and vicarious (high versus low: 100%) pain intensity in out-of-sample individuals. Critically, each pattern was at chance in predicting the other experience, demonstrating separate modifiability of both patterns. Somatotopy (upper versus lower limb: 93% accuracy for both conditions) was also distinct, located in somatosensory versus …

Using The Visual World Paradigm To Study Retrieval Interference In Spoken Language Comprehension, Irina A. Sekerina, Luca Campanelli, Julie A. Van Dyke

Publications and Research

The cue-based retrieval theory (Lewis et al., 2006) predicts that interference from similar distractors should create difficulty for argument integration, however this hypothesis has only been examined in the written modality. The current study uses the Visual World Paradigm (VWP) to assess its feasibility to study retrieval interference arising from distractors present in a visual display during spoken language comprehension. The study aims to extend findings from Van Dyke and McElree (2006), which utilized a dual-task paradigm with written sentences in which they manipulated the relationship between extra-sentential distractors and the semantic retrieval cues from a verb, to the spoken …

Molecular Tracking Of Individual Host Use In The Shiny Cowbird – A Generalist Brood Parasite, Ma Alicia De La Colina, Mark E. Hauber, Bill M. Strausberger, Juan Carlos Reboreda, Bettina Mahler

Publications and Research

Generalist parasites exploit multiple host species at the population level, but the individual parasite’s strategy may be either itself a generalist or a specialist pattern of host species use. Here, we studied the relationship between host availability and host use in the individual parasitism patterns of the Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis, a generalist avian obligate brood parasite that parasitizes an extreme range of hosts. Using five microsatellite markers and an 1120-bp fragment of the mtDNA control region, we reconstructed full-sibling groups from 359 cowbird eggs and chicks found in nests of the two most frequent hosts in our study area, …

An Analysis Of Weight Loss Articles And Advertisements In Mainstream Women’S Health And Fitness Magazines, Danna Ethan, Corey H. Basch, Grace Clarke Hillyer, Alyssa Berdnik, Mary Huynh

Publications and Research

Background: Magazines are a commonly used source for health and fitness information. Little is known about the nature and extent of weight loss strategies and products presented in mainstream women’s health and fitness magazines.

Methods: This preliminary cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence of articles and advertisements featuring weight loss content and products in mainstream US-based health and fitness magazines, as well as assessed weight loss themes presented. Thirty-one US health and fitness-focused magazine issues were coded. Prevalence of, product type, and themes related to weight loss in articles and advertisements were assessed.

Results: Among the 31 issues of the five …

Finding The Beat: From Socially Coordinated Vocalizations In Songbirds To Rhythmic Entrainment In Humans, Jonathan I. Benichov, Eitan Globerson, Ofer Tchernichovski

Publications and Research

Humans and oscine songbirds share the rare capacity for vocal learning. Songbirds have the ability to acquire songs and calls of various rhythms through imitation. In several species, birds can even coordinate the timing of their vocalizations with other individuals in duets that are synchronized with millisecond-accuracy. It is not known, however, if songbirds can perceive rhythms holistically nor if they are capable of spontaneous entrainment to complex rhythms, in a manner similar to humans. Here we review emerging evidence from studies of rhythm generation and vocal coordination across songbirds and humans. In particular, recently developed experimental methods have revealed …

Decisions At The Brink: Locomotor Experience Affects Infants’ Use Of Social Information On An Adjustable Drop-Off, Lana B. Karasik, Catherine S. Tamis-Lemonda, Karen E. Adolph

Publications and Research

How do infants decide what to do at the brink of a precipice? Infants could use two sources of information to guide their actions: perceptual information generated by their own exploratory activity and social information offered by their caregivers. The current study investigated the role of locomotor experience in using social information—both encouragement and discouragement—for descending drop-offs. Mothers of 30 infants (experienced 12-month-old crawlers, novice 12-month-old walkers, and experienced 18-month-old walkers) encouraged and discouraged descent on a gradation of dropoffs (safe “steps” and risky “cliffs”). Novice walkers descended more frequently than experienced crawlers and walkers and fell while attempting to …

Neuroanatomical Alterations In High-Functioning Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tehila Eilam-Stock, Tingting Wu, Alfredo Spagna, Laura J. Egan, Jin Fan

Publications and Research

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental condition, affecting cognition and behavior throughout the life span. With recent advances in neuroimaging techniques and analytical approaches, a considerable effort has been directed toward identifying the neuroanatomical underpinnings of ASD. While gray-matter abnormalities have been found throughout cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar regions of affected individuals, there is currently little consistency across findings, partly due to small sample-sizes and great heterogeneity among participants in previous studies. Here, we report voxel-based morphometry of structural magnetic resonance images in a relatively large sample of high-functioning adults with ASD (n = 66) and matched …

Women Of Color In Academia And The Influence Of Religious Culture On Self-Promotion: A Collaborative Autoethnography, Joni Schwartz, Emam Mosharafa, S. Lenise Wallace

Publications and Research

Much has been written about self-promoting communication by women in business, and some about self-promotion and women in academia. However, few studies specifically focus on Women of Color in academia in regard to how their religious backgrounds impact learned self-promotion communication and acclimation to academic culture. This collaborative autoethnography addresses this gap in the literature. Through two of the authors’ life experiences in the Black/African American church and Islamic faith, self-promotion is explored as it relates to their current work in academia.

The Expert Advice: Dental Patient Compliance Hinges On Effective Communication Strategies, Diana V. Macri

Publications and Research

Most dental hygienists would agree that motivating patients to adopt good oral health behaviors-often referred to as compliance-is the most challenging aspect of practice. This critical component of patient care is not unique to dentistry and dental hygiene. In 2010, the costs of health care in the United States exceeded $2.7 trillion with "between $100 and $300 billion of avoidable health-care costs [attributable] to nonadherence in the US annually."1 Nonadherence (a term used in the medical literature, which is synonymous with noncompliance) is associated with progression of disease and, subsequently, poor health outcomes resulting in an additional burden of billions …

The Art Of Cheating In The 21st Millennium: Innovative Mechanisms And Insidious Ploys In Academic Deceit, Steven M. Lipson, Laina Karthikeyan

Publications and Research

Cheating is rampant throughout academia, with no hard evidence suggesting that such pedagogic deceit will wane. Cheating is most insidious on the college level, where such academic deceit has evolved from perhaps its basic pattern of merely peeking at another student’s examination, to planned deceit employing sophisticated subterfuges and interplay between two or more co-conspirators. Importantly, cheating per se may not necessarily be student initiated, but fostered by college/university staff for purposes of institutional or personal financial gain. Statistical studies (e.g., demographics) in complement with sociological and psychological factors associated with cheating have been previously described. This review does not …

The Benefits Of Multicultural Eclectic Service Delivery, Eugena Griffin

Publications and Research

To date, Blacks in America are often misdiagnosed or mistreated due to the failure of mental health practitioners to provide services from a multicultural eclectic purview. It is necessary to attend to the past and present influences of psychosocial variables related to real and perceived discrimination on minority achievement, behavior, and clinically health outcomes. When providers do not take into consideration these factors, they have a limited conceptualization of their clients’ needs. Such psychosocial variables can exacerbate behaviors, symptoms, and at times be the antecedent that onset those symptoms. Thus, it is imperative that health providers learn methods to investigate …

From Marginality To Mattering: Linguistic Practices, Pedagogies And Diversities At A Community-Serving Senior College, Andrea Springirth, Hannah Göppert

Publications and Research

The cultural diversification of colleges and universities which initially targeted the needs of a specific minoritized group raises questions concerning the inclusion of every individual and the maintenance of the advances which have been made for the original population. This paper provides insight into the challenges and merits at the intersection of linguistic and racial/ethnic diversification within CUNY’s Medgar Evers College. Historically tied to the Black Campus Movement, the college is committed to being an agent of social transformation for the surrounding community. Aiming to understand the perspectives on language and diversity of the key stakeholders at the college, a …

Severity And Clustering Of Menopausal Symptoms Among Obese And Nonobese Postmenopausal Women In India, E. S. Sharanya Shre, Kate Trout, Sonia Pant Singh, Awnish Kumar Singh, Surapaneni Krishna Mohan, Ashish Joshi

Publications and Research

Background: The symptoms of menopause have a negative impact on quality of life, especially in women transitioning to menopause and earlier transitions. This study was conducted with the objective of assessing the effect of obesity on the severity of menopausal symptoms and the clustering of symptoms in postmenopausal women in India.

Methodology: The Menopausal Rating Scale (MRS) was used to assess the severity of menopausal symptoms of postmenopausal women of Chennai, visiting Saveetha Medical College, Chennai, India. This cross‑sectional study was conducted from August to November 2013 in Chennai, India. Sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure level, menopausal history, personal …

The Quasi-Human Child: How Normative Conceptions Of Childhood Enabled Neoliberal School Reform In The United States, Debbie Sonu

Publications and Research

This paper argues that normative conceptions of the child, as a natural quasi-human being in need of guidance, enable current school reforms in the United States to directly link the child to neoliberal aims and objectives. In using Foucault’s concept of governmentality and disciplinary power, we first present how the child is constructed as a subject of the adult world, then trace how such understandings invite school policies and practices that worked on the child, rather than with the child. In order to understand how the child comes to be known and recognized as a learner, both at the intersections …

Dynamic Egg Color Mimicry, Daniel Hanley, Michael Sulc, Patricia L. R. Brennan, Mark E. Hauber, Tomas Grim, Marcel Honza

Publications and Research

Evolutionary hypotheses regarding the function of eggshell phenotypes, from solar protection through mimicry, have implicitly assumed that eggshell appearance remains static throughout the laying and incubation periods. However, recent research demonstrates that egg coloration changes over relatively short, biologically relevant timescales. Here, we provide the first evidence that such changes impact brood parasite–host eggshell color mimicry during the incubation stage. First, we use long-term data to establish how rapidly the Acrocephalus arundinaceus Linnaeus (great reed warbler) responded to natural parasitic eggs laid by the Cuculus canorus Linnaeus (common cuckoo). Most hosts rejected parasitic eggs just prior to clutch completion, but …

Female Role Models In Bukusu Folktales: Education At The Mother’S Hearth, Namulundah Florence

Publications and Research

Folktales serve a descriptive, as well as prescriptive role, by consistently depicting societal and cultural norms. Sexist portrayals sanction the marginality of Bukusu women, particularly when these reflect prevailing gender roles and expectations. However, contests over identity and representation are as ancient as (unwritten) history. The analysis of tales From Our Mothers’ Hearths: Bukusu Folktales and Proverbs, offers a wide range of role models for women; some of which depict female agency in exacting circumstances (Florence, N., 2005. From our Mothers’ Hearths: Bukusu Folktales and Proverbs. NJ: Africa World Pres/The Red Sea Press). Further, females as narrators, protagonists, and the …

Alterations In Gray Matter Volume Due To Unilateral Hearing Loss, Xingchao Wang, Pengfei Xu, Peng Li, Zhenmin Wang, Fu Zhao, Zhixian Gao, Lei Xu, Yue-Jia Luo, Jin Fan, Pinan Liu

Publications and Research

Although extensive research on neural plasticity resulting from hearing deprivation has been conducted, the direct influence of compromised audition on the auditory cortex and the potential impact of long durations of incomplete sensory stimulation on the adult cortex are still not fully understood. In this study, using voxel-based morphometry, we evaluated gray matter (GM) volume changes that may be associated with reduced hearing ability and the duration of hearing impairment in 42 unilateral hearing loss (UHL) patients with acoustic neuromas compared to 24 normal controls. We found significant GM volume increases in the somatosensory and motor systems and GM volume …

Gifts Among Strangers: The Social Organization Of Freecycle Giving, Sofya Aptekar

Publications and Research

The Freecycle Network, with its millions of members gifting objects to strangers, is a stalwart fixture of the increasingly popular sharing economy. Unlike the wildly profitable Airbnb and Uber, the Freecycle Network prohibits profit-making, or even barter, providing an altruism-based alternative to capitalist markets while keeping tons of garbage out of landfills. Why do millions of people give through Freecycle instead of selling, donating, or throwing away items? Utilizing participant observation of two overlapping Freecycle groups and a survey of their members, I investigate motivations for giving and the social norms that guide it. I find that while members of …

Fundamental Concepts In Violin Studio Teaching: Sharing Thoughts With New Teachers, Di Su

Publications and Research

From being a student to becoming a teacher is a turning point. The role change is so significant that one may need some kind of advice. The rookie teacher may have been well equipped with necessary training and techniques, but it is the fundamental concepts that will help the new teacher start a teaching career without being confused or overwhelmed. This article is written for new violin studio teachers. The author shares his thoughts derived from decades of teaching. In comparison with conservatory teaching, private studio teach­ing features a more flexible structure. Pupils are from various backgrounds with different learning …

Rapid Assessment Of “Eve Teasing” (Sexual Harassment) Of Young Women During The Commute To College In India, Mangai Natarajan

Publications and Research

Many countries have taken action in recent times to address harassment in the work place and violence in the home, but little attention has been paid to sexual harassment in public places, specifically during women’s journey to work and school. In developing countries, many more women are seeking education and employment than previously, which has increased the opportunity for sexual harassment in public places. In India, the study location, this harassment is known as “eve teasing”. Eve teasing includes cat calling, lewd remarks, and inappropriate sexual contact such as rubbing and fondling. Tolerance of such incidents could lead to more …

The Influence Of Religion On Science: The Case Of The Idea Of Predestination In Biospeleology., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

Evolution has always been considered a battleground between religion and science. Despite that perception, there are some indications that religious beliefs have in uenced and continue to in uence some current interpretations in evolutionary biology. To that end I present evidence on how pervasive the theological idea of predestination, which has been long discussed in the the Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions, has in uenced some of the elucidations of the nature of biological evolution. I will concentrate on the history of ideas about the evolution of cave organisms to epitomize the strong in uence of religion on some evolutionary …

Religious Involvement And Psychological Stress As Predictors Of Dental Health, Yung Y. Chen, Anty Lam

Publications and Research

Religious involvement has been linked to many indicators of health, including longevity. Previous research has identified psychological stress as a possible mediator for the positive effects of religion on health. Fewer studies have investigated the potential relationship between these psychosocial factors and dental health. This study examined religious involvement, stress, and dental health in a community sample. Participants included 150 community residents who received dental care as part of the study. Results indicated a significant positive association between religiousness and dental health, and a negative association between stress and dental health. These findings encourage further research on religion, stress, and …

Factors Associated With Initiation Of Antiretroviral Therapy In The Advanced Stages Of Hiv Infection In Six Ethiopian Hiv Clinics, 2012 To 2013, Denis Nash, Olga Tymejczyk, Tsigereda Gadisa, Sarah Gorrell Kulkarni, Susie Hoffman, Muluneh Yigzaw, Batya Elul, Robert H. Remien, Maria Lahuerta, Shalo Daba, Wafaa El Sadr, Zenebe Melaku

Publications and Research

Introduction: Most HIV-positive persons in sub-Saharan Africa initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART) with advanced infection (late ART initiation). Intervening on the drivers of late ART initiation is a critical step towards achieving the full potential of HIV treatment scale-up. This study aimed to identify modifiable factors associated with late ART initiation in Ethiopia.

Methods: From 2012 to 2013, Ethiopian adults (n=1180) were interviewed within two weeks of ART initiation. Interview data were merged with HIV care histories to assess correlates of late ART initiation (CD4+ count <150 cells/mL or World Health Organization Stage IV).

Results: The median CD4 count at enrolment in HIV care was 263 cells/mL (interquartile range …

Self-Identified Feminist Mothers' Naming Practices For Their Children: Accepting Being "As Feminist As Everyone" Else, Amy Eshleman, Jean Halley

Publications and Research

In this study, we apply the complexities of feminism to feminists’ choices regarding the surnames of their children. Along with other progressive movements, feminism acknowledges that names matter. Across diverse perspectives within feminism, we do not want to be called girls, but women. We do not want to be called chairmen, but chair or chairperson. We want the title we earned, Dr., or the title we share with all women, Ms., not Miss or Mrs. Given this awareness, and given feminist scholars’ privileged position in the world, we examine the often-patrilineal naming decisions of self-identified feminist faculty members.

Uncertainty And War Duration, Zachary C. Shirkey

Publications and Research

The article argues private information plays an important role in explaining long wars. Existing rationalist explanations of long, intensely fought wars focus on commitment problems rather than private information as the cause of such wars. Commitment problem explanations of long wars claim that while private information can explain short wars, battles and exchanges of offers for settlement should quickly reveal private information thereby leading to an early peace. Commitment problems, on the other hand, may take years to resolve and therefore can explain long, intense wars for unitary actors. However, while commitment problems are an important explanation for long wars, …

Data Mining Using Ensemble Classifiers For Improved Prediction Of Student Academic Performance, Ashwin Satyanarayana, Mariusz Nuckowski

Publications and Research

In the last decade Data mining (DM) has been applied in the field of education, and is an emerging interdisciplinary research field also known as Educational Data Mining (EDM). One of the goals of EDM is to better understand how to predict student academic performance given personal, socio-economic, psychological and other environmental attributes. Another goal is to identify factors and rules that influence educational academic outcomes. In this paper, we use multiple classifiers (Decision Trees-J48, Naïve Bayes and Random Forest) to improve the quality of student data by eliminating noisy instances, and hence improving predictive accuracy. We also identify association …

Exploring Relations Between Teachers’ Beliefs, Instructional Practices, And Students’ Beliefs In Statistics, Melissa C. Duffy, Krista R. Muis, Michael J. Foy, Gregory Trevors, John Ranellucci

Publications and Research

We examined the epistemic climate of statistics classrooms across two different classrooms by measuring teachers’ espoused beliefs about teaching statistics and observing their teaching practices. We then explored whether students’ beliefs became more aligned with the epistemic climate of the classroom over time. Post-secondary students’ beliefs were measured at the beginning and end of the semester. To measure the epistemic climate, teachers completed self-reports of their beliefs about teaching and learning, and participated in two semi-structured interviews at the beginning and end of the semester. Moreover, several classroom observations were conducted over the course of the semester. Analyses of the …

The Role Of Calibration Bias And Performance Feedback In Achievement Goal Regulation, Krista R. Muis, Philip H. Winne, John Ranellucci

Publications and Research

Do achievement goals change across time in response to performance feedback? Does goal orientation relate to calibration of estimated to actual achievement? We studied these issues over three tasks spanning a semester-long course where ninety-nine undergraduates received feedback about performance on each task. Learners were consistently and quite substantially biased in estimating performance with bias inversely related to actual performance. Goal orientation was not stable across time as a function of task, and it varied in some tasks in relation to calibration accuracy. These findings demonstrate goal orientations are sensitive to task and feedback. Moreover, goal orientation had varying and …

Exploring Creative Information Literacy Practices Via Divergent Thinking, Joseph Hartnett

Publications and Research

Encouraged by the ACRL Framework’s call for librarians to adopt more engaging methods to teach students, as well as for students to assume more active, creative, and reflective roles in relation to the information landscape, the author questioned whether methods put forward by creativity training proponent Edward de Bono for fostering creativity might have any potential value for of helping students to engage in divergent thinking related to developing a research strategy, or as the framework would have it “Searching as a Strategic Exploration.” In order to answer this question, the author investigated the work of Edward de Bono and …