Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating The Role Of Religion-Supported Secular Programs For Explaining Initiation Into First Sex, Amy Adamczyk

Publications and Research

Research finds that religious youth, compared to less religious youth, are more likely to delay their sexual debut (sometimes until marriage). This study is one of the first to examine the influence of involvement in religion-supported secular activities for shaping initiation into vaginal sex. Does involvement in religion-sponsored secular programs produce any health-related benefits for youth? Using two waves of data from the National Study of Youth and Religion this study finds that among teens who have engaged in some of the precursors to first sex, namely, sexual touching, involvement in religion-sponsored secular activities is associated with lower odds of …

Understanding Delinquency With Friendship Group Religious Context, Amy Adamczyk

Publications and Research

While much research has examined the link between personal religious beliefs and practices and delinquency, little research attention has been given to the influence of friends’ religious beliefs for explaining teen delinquency. This study fills this gap in the literature by examining the role of individual and friends’ religious beliefs and born-again identity for shaping delinquency. Methods. Two waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and measures taken from individuals and their friends are used to examine the influence of individual and friends’ religiosity and born-again identity for violent and property offending. Results. Friends’ private religiosity …

A Kitchen Of One's Own: The Paradox Of Dione Lucas, Kathleen Collins

Publications and Research

First appearing on the air in 1947, Dione Lucas was one of the earliest television cooking-show hosts. As a business owner, single mother, influential salesperson, and highly respected professional in her field (Julia Child referred to Lucas as “the mother of French cooking in America”), Lucas was a pioneer and potentially powerful role model. Given this profile, however, she was an anachronism and out of sync with the majority of contemporary women and home cooks. She was likewise out of sync with her television peers, as most homemaking programs were hosted by home economists and were contexts wherein thrift and …

Murrow And Friendly’S Small World: Television Conversation At The Crossroads, Kathleen Collins

Publications and Research

Small World

(1958–60), an Edward R. Murrow and Fred W. Friendly television production, brought together political and entertainment figures from around the world, boasting technological innovation and a high level of public affairs discourse. The author discusses critical reception, producers’ ideals, cultural and historical context, and relation-ships to evolving notions of public service broadcasting.

Licensed To Share: How Libraries Are Handling Electronic Journal Article Requests, Karen Okamoto

Publications and Research

This questionnaire-based study examines how libraries are now handling electronic journal (e-journal) article requests in both lending and borrowing. With an increasing number of publishers and e-journal content providers permitting interlibrary loan (ILL) sharing, and with the availability of new license management tools and services, many respondents stated that they share e-journal articles. However, problems persist. Respondents cited is- sues such as restrictive licenses, automatic deflection of e-journal article requests, and the lack of information from libraries about what e-journal titles they are licensed to ILL.

Citizen Bunker: Archie Bunker As Working-Class Icon., Kathleen Collins

Publications and Research

Archie Bunker, the central character and patriarch of Norman Lear’s “All in the Family,” (1971-1979) has been referred to as an “everyman” and an “angry-man prototype” with “hard had prejudice.” The name Archie Bunker itself has become synonymous with a blue-collar, racially chauvinistic mentality. The title of the show’s pilot and theme song, “Those Were the Days,” emphasized Archie’s dream of a simpler (though idealized) time, a world that he could understand and upon which he could exert some control. In 1970s America, Archie seemed to feel that the world was against him – economically, socially, politically and culturally – …

Leveraging Learning To Improve Disaster Management Outcomes, Denise D. P. Thompson

Publications and Research

Disaster management agencies should be exemplars of learning given the volatility of their operating environment. However, there are cognitive, social, and organizational barriers that prevent these organizations from learning. The purpose of this article is to use the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) as an example of an organization that achieves double-loop learning in spite of known barriers. This research shows significant learning variations in the CDEMA organization from the regional to the national level. The results demonstrate that the CDEMA Coordinating Unit and a few national member agencies achieve double-loop learning, while the opposite is true for …

Pltl In The Developmental Writing Classsroom, Aaron Barlow, A. E. Dreyfuss, Jennifer Sears, Amelise Bonhomme, Rennee Clarke, Sungsoo Moon, Jodi-Ann Young, Lori Younge

Publications and Research

Writing placement exam preparation can be broken down into small tasks overseen by Peer Leaders, following (though not precisely) patterns set out by Fred Keller in “Good-bye Teacher” in 1968. The mechanical aspect of writing, however, is never enough for the production of essays that communicate, something that requires audience and a desire to “speak.” Students in developmental classrooms often have problems beyond the writing itself: they may be test shy and may not be prepared to take on even college entry tasks without careful direction. Working with Peer Leaders, the developmental program can address the problems of mechanics and …

Get In The Game: Developing An Information Literacy Classroom Game, Maura A. Smale

Publications and Research

Much current research in the field of games-based learning demonstrates that games can be successfully incorporated into educational contexts to increase student engage-ment, motivation, and learning. Academic librarians are also using games as an innova-tive instructional strategy to strengthen students’ research skills and their understanding of information literacy concepts. This article discusses the development and implemen-tation of Quality Counts, a classroom information literacy game designed to teach un-dergraduate students how to evaluate Internet sources. After a brief overview of the game’s development and rules, the article describes the process of playing Quality Counts in several classes and presents the results …

Using Php To Parse Ebook Resources From Drupal 6 To Populate A Mobile Web Page, Junior R. Tidal

Publications and Research

The Ursula C. Schwerin library needed to create a page for its mobile website devoted to subscribed eBooks. These resources, however, were only available through the main desktop website. These resources were organized using the Drupal 6 content management system with contributed and core modules. It was necessary to create a solution to retrieve the eBook databases from the Drupal installation to a separate mobile site.

The Bearable Light Of Openness: Renovating Obsolete Peer-Review Bottlenecks, Aaron Barlow

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Vitamin D: Implications Of The Institute Of Medicine Report For Clinical Practice, Dorothy Grasso, Margaret A. Rafferty

Publications and Research

In November 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D, a radical departure from previous advice given regarding these two nutrients that have been reported in respected health journals. The 14-member expert committee found clear and convincing evidence to support the association between adequate levels of vitamin D and bone health. The IOM committee did not find enough evidence to support claims that inadequate levels of vitamin D are linked to increased risks for cancer, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes. In this article, the authors discuss the controversy surrounding vitamin D and provide guidance …

El Uso De Las Funciones De Las Citas En La Estructura Retórica De Las Introducciones De Memorias De Máster Escritas En Español Por Estudiantes Nativos Españoles Y No Nativos Filipinos, David Sánchez-Jiménez

Publications and Research

This article analyzes the correlation between the use of functions of citations and the organizational structure of the Introduction section of a corpus of sixteen (16) master´s theses written in Spanish in the field of Applied Linguistics by native and non-native writers. The quantitative and qualitative analysis in this study arises from the model proposed by Carbonell- Olivares et al. (2009) which aims to define the organization of the Introduction section of the doctoral thesis in Spanish and the classification of the functions of citations made by Sánchez Jiménez (2011). The research results show that there is a direct relationship …

How Milk Does The World Good: Vernacular Sustainability And Alternative Food Systems In Post-Socialist Europe, Diana Mincyte

Publications and Research

Scholarly debates on sustainable consumption have generally overlooked alternative agro-food networks in the economies outside of Western Europe and North America. Building on practice-based theories, this article focuses on informal raw milk markets in post-socialist Lithuania to examine how such alternative systems emerge and operate in the changing political, social, and economic contexts. It makes two contributions to the scholarship on sustainable consumption. In considering semi-subsistence practices and poverty-driven consumption, this article argues for a richer, more critical, and inclusive theory of sustainability that takes into consideration vernacular forms of exchange and approaches poor consumers as subjects of global history. …

An Investigation On Cocombustion Behaviors Of Hydrothermally Treated Municipal Solid Waste With Coal Using A Drop-Tube Reactor, Liang Lu, Yuqi Jin, Masato R. Nakamura, Marco J. Castaldi, Kunio Yoshikawa

Publications and Research

This work aims at demonstrating the feasibility of replacing Indonesian coal (INC) with hydrothermally treated municipal solid waste (MSWH) in cocombustion with high ash Indian coal (IC). The combustion efficiencies and emissions (CO, NO) of MSWH, INC and their blends with IC for a series of tests performed under a range of temperatures and air conditions were tested in a drop- tube reactor (DTR). The results showed the following. The combustion efficiency of IC was increased by blending both MSWH and INC and CO emission was reduced with increasing temperature. For NO emission, the blending of MSWH led to the …

Biosensors For Brain Trauma And Dual Laser Doppler Flowmetry: Enoxaparin Simultaneously Reduces Stroke-Induced Dopamine And Blood Flow While Enhancing Serotonin And Blood Flow In Motor Neurons Of Brain, In Vivo, Patricia A. Broderick, Edwin H. Kolodny

Publications and Research

Neuromolecular Imaging (NMI) based on adsorptive electrochemistry, combined with Dual Laser Doppler Flowmetry (LDF) is presented herein to investigate the brain neurochemistry affected by enoxaparin (Lovenox®), an antiplatelet/antithrombotic medication for stroke victims. NMI with miniature biosensors enables neurotransmitter and neuropeptide (NT) imaging; each NT is imaged with a response time in milliseconds. A semiderivative electronic reduction circuit images several NT’s selectively and separately within a response time of minutes. Spatial resolution of NMI biosensors is in the range of nanomicrons and electrochemically-induced current ranges are in pico- and nano-amperes. Simultaneously with NMI, the LDF technology presented herein operates on line …

Arsenic Migration To Deep Groundwater In Bangladesh Influenced By Adsorption And Water Demand, K.A. Radloff, Y. Zheng, H.A. Michael, M. Stute, B. C. Bostick, I. Mihajlov, M. Bounds, M. R. Huq, I. Choudhury, M. W. Rahman, P. Schlosser, K. M. Ahmed, A. Van Geen

Publications and Research

Drinking shallow groundwater with naturally elevated concentrations of arsenic is causing widespread disease in many parts of South and Southeast Asia. In the Bengal Basin, growing reliance on deep (>150 m) groundwater has lowered exposure. In the most affected districts of Bangladesh, shallow groundwater concentrations average 100 to 370 μg L−1, while deep groundwater is typically < 10 μg L−1. Groundwater flow simulations have suggested that, even when deep pumping is restricted to domestic use, deep groundwater in some areas of the Bengal Basin is at risk of contamination. However, these simulations have neglected the impedance of As migration by adsorption to aquifer sediments. Here we quantify for the first time As sorption on deeper sediments in situ by replicating the intrusion of shallow groundwater through injection of 1,000 L of deep groundwater modified with 200 μg L−1 of As into a deeper aquifer. Arsenic concentrations in the injected water were reduced by 70% due to adsorption within a single day. Basin-scale modelling indicates that while As adsorption extends the sustainable use of deep groundwater, some areas remain vulnerable; these areas can be prioritized for management and monitoring.

The Murine Caecal Microrna Signature Depends On The Presence Of The Endogenous Microbiota, Natasha Singh, Elize A. Shirdel, Levi Waldron, Regan-Heng Zhang, Igor Jurisica, Elena M. Comelli

Publications and Research

The intestinal messenger RNA expression signature is affected by the presence and compo-sition of the endogenous microbiota, with effects on host physiology. The intestine is also characterized by a distinctive micronome. However, it is not known if microbes also impact intestinal gene expression epigenetically. We investigated if the murine caecal microRNA expression signature depends on the presence of the microbiota, and the potential implica-tions of this interaction on intestinal barrier function. Three hundred and thirty four mi-croRNAs were detectable in the caecum of germ-free and conventional male mice and 16 were differentially expressed, with samples from the two groups clustering …

Sexuality, Rights And Personhood: Tensions In A Transnational World, Dina M. Siddiqi

Publications and Research

Background This article discusses what happens when normative ‘global’ discourses of rights and individuated sexual identity confront the messiness of ‘local’ realities. It considers the tensions that emerge when the relationship between sexual and social identities is not obvious and the implications of such tensions for public health and sexual rights activism. These questions are addressed through debates over the naming of male-to-male sexualities and desires in the context of globalization and the growth of a large NGO (non-governmental organization) sector in urban Bangladesh. Methods The material in the paper draws on a research project undertaken in 2008-9 in Dhaka, …

Comparison And Correlates Of Three Preference-Based Healthrelated Quality-Of-Life Measures Among Overweight And Obese Women With Urinary Incontinence, Angela Marinilli Pinto, Miriam Kupperman, Sanae Nakagawa, Eric Vittinghoff, Rena R. Wing, John W. Kusek, William H. Herman, Leslee L. Subak

Publications and Research

PURPOSE: To compare three preference-based health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) measures and examine independent correlates of HRQL among overweight and obese women with urinary incontinence (UI) enrolled in a weight loss intervention trial.

METHODS: Participants completed baseline questionnaires, which included the Health Utilities Index 3 (HUI3) and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36). The SF-36 was used to derive SF-6D and estimated Quality of Well-Being (eQWB) scores. Height, weight, medical history, incontinence measures, and level of physical activity also were assessed. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was computed, and differences in mean scores across HRQL measures were examined. Potential correlates of HUI3, …

Understanding The Association Of Biomedical, Psychosocial And Behavioral Risks With Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes, Michele Kiely, Ayman El-Mohandes, Marie G. Gantz, Dhuly Chowdhury, Jutta S. Thornberry, M. Nabil El-Khorazaty

Publications and Research

Objectives: This study investigates the relationship between diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia, and Body Mass Index (BMI) -- the most common and interrelated medical conditions occurring during pregnancy; sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors; and adverse pregnancy outcomes in high-risk urban African American women in Washington, DC.

Methods: Data are from a randomized controlled trial conducted in 6 prenatal clinics. Women in their 1^st or 2^nd trimester were screened for behavioral risks (smoking, environmental tobacco smoke exposure, depression, and intimate partner violence) and demographic eligibility. 1,044 were eligible, interviewed and followed through their pregnancies. Classification and Regression Trees (CART) methodology was …

Impaired Structural Connectivity Of Socio-Emotional Circuits In Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study, Stephanie H. Ameis, Jin Fan, Conrad Rockel, Aristotle N. Voineskos, Nancy J. Lobaugh, Latha Soorya, A. Ting Wang, Eric Hollander, Evdokia Anagnostou

Publications and Research

Background Abnormal white matter development may disrupt integration within neural circuits, causing particular impairments in higher-order behaviours. In autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), white matter alterations may contribute to characteristic deficits in complex socio-emotional and communication domains. Here, we used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tract based spatial statistics (TBSS) to evaluate white matter microstructure in ASD. Methods/Principal Findings DTI scans were acquired for 19 children and adolescents with ASD (∼8–18 years; mean 12.4±3.1) and 16 age and IQ matched controls (∼8–18 years; mean 12.3±3.6) on a 3T MRI system. DTI values for fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, radial diffusivity and axial …

“I Could Study Anywhere, As Long As I Could Sit I’Ll Study:” Student Spaces And Pathways At The City University Of New York, Maura A. Smale, Mariana Regalado

Publications and Research

Undergraduate students at the City University of New York navigate multiply occupied places as they attend college on the urban campuses of this commuter institution. CUNY students often negotiate competing diversions from their scholarly experiences, including family obligations and job responsibilities, that constrain them both temporally and financially. Additionally, space considerations at home, school, and the commute influence and shape student activities and opportunities. In this paper we examine how college students interact with school spaces, from where they store their books to where they study and write their papers, and to what degree they succeed at constituting these areas …

Relational Memory: A Daytime Nap Facilitates The Abstraction Of General Concepts, Hiuyan Lau, Sara E. Alger, William Fishbein

Publications and Research

It is increasingly evident that sleep strengthens memory. However, it is not clear whether sleep promotes relational memory, resultant of the integration of disparate memory traces into memory networks linked by commonalities. The present study investigates the effect of a daytime nap, immediately after learning or after a delay, on a relational memory task that requires abstraction of general concept from separately learned items. Specifically, participants learned English meanings of Chinese characters with overlapping semantic components called radicals. They were later tested on new characters sharing the same radicals and on explicitly stating the general concepts represented by the radicals. …

Potential Unique Causes Of Burnout For Chiropractic Professionals, Shawn Williams

Publications and Research

Objective The objective of this narrative review is to discuss the potential for burnout in chiropractic practitioners. This discussion is grounded in the job demands-resource model, the conservation of resources model, the unique profession-specific stressors experienced by chiropractors, and information from similar health care professions. Methods A search using both the indexed (PubMed and PsychLit) and nonindexed psychosocial literature was used. Other resources included the Cochrane Library, articles from governing bodies of the chiropractic profession, trade magazines, and research conferences and symposium proceedings. Articles were analyzed following the grounded theory principles: open coding and memos for conceptual labeling, axial coding …

Dearabizing Arabia: Tracing Western Scholarship On The History Of The Arabs And Arabic Language And Script, Saad D. Abulhab

Publications and Research

This book is a reference book on the history of the Arabic Language and script, which goes beyond the sole discussion of technical matters. It studies objectively the evidence presented by modern-day western archeological discoveries together with the evidence presented by the indispensable scholarly work and research of past Islamic Arab civilization era. The book scrutinizes modern western theories regarding the history of the Arabs and Arabic language and script in connection with the roles played by Western Near East scholarship, religion and colonial history in the formation of current belief system, which is an essential step to study this …

Progesterone-Induced Changes In The Phosphoryl Potential During The Meiotic Divisions In Amphibian Oocytes: Role Of Na/K-Atpase, Gene A. Morrill, Terry L. Dowd, Adele B. Kostellow, Raj K. Gupta

Publications and Research

Background Progesterone triggers resumption of the first meiotic division in the Rana pipiens oocyte by binding to the N-terminal external loop of the catalytic subunit of Na/K-ATPase, releasing a cascade of lipid second messengers. This is followed by internalization of specific membrane proteins, plasma membrane depolarization and nuclear membrane breakdown, culminating in arrest at second metaphase. Results Progesterone initiates an increase in phosphoryl potential during the first meiotic division, resulting in the accumulation of high energy protein phosphate by second metaphase arrest. 31P-NMR, with saturation transfer, demonstrates that the phosphocreatine level rises ~2 fold and that the "pseudo" first order …

Can There Be Government Accounting Without Accountability?, Michael Granof

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Fabrication Of Size-Tunable Metallic Nanoparticles Using Plasmid Dna As A Biomolecular Reactor, Jacopo Samson, Irene Piscopo, Alex Yampolski, Patrick Nahirney, Andrea Parpas, Amit Aggarwal, Raihan Saleh, Charles Michael Drain

Publications and Research

Plasmid DNA can be used as a template to yield gold, palladium, silver, and chromium nanoparticles of different sizes based on variations in incubation time at 70 °C with gold phosphine complexes, with the acetates of silver or palladium, or chromium acetylacetonate. The employment of mild synthetic conditions, minimal procedural steps, and aqueous solvents makes this method environmentally greener and ensures general feasibility. The use of plasmids exploits the capabilities of the biotechnology industry as a source of nanoreactor materials.

Sexual And Injection-Related Risks In Puerto Rican-Born Injection Drug Users Living In New York City: A Mixed-Methods Analysis, Camila Gelpí-Acosta, Holly Hagan, Samuel M. Jenness, Travis Wendel, Alan Neaigus

Publications and Research

Background These data were collected as part of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) study. NHBS is a cross-sectional study to investigate HIV behavioral risks among core risk groups in 21 U.S. cities with the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence. This analysis examines data from the NHBS data collection cycle with IDU conducted in New York City in 2009. We explored how the recency of migration from Puerto Rico (PR) to New York City (NYC) impacts both syringe sharing and unprotected sex among injection drug users (IDU) currently living in NYC. Methods We used a mixed-methods approach to examine differences in risk …