Digital Commons Network^™

Shaping Attitudes About Homosexuality: The Role Of Religion And Cultural Context, Amy Adamczyk, Pitt Cassidy

Publications and Research

Across the globe, the debate over homosexuality continues, with great variation in public opinion about the acceptability of homosexuality, laws regulating same-sex unions and penalties for homosexual sex behaviors. Religion is often seen as an important predictor of attitudes about homosexuality. However, cross-national differences in cultural orientations suggest that the role religion has in explaining homosexual attitudes may depend on a nation’s cultural context. In this study, we merge ideas from cultural sociology and religious contextual effects to explain cross-national variation in public opinion about homosexuality. Using data from the fourth wave of the World Values Survey and Hierarchical Modeling …

Using Blackboard To Create Library Research Skills Assessment, Maura A. Smale, Mariana Regalado

Publications and Research

Like other college and university departments, academic libraries are increasingly expected to assess their services and facilities. This article describes an initial step in the development of a comprehensive assessment program for library instruction in the Brooklyn College Library. A pre- and post-quiz were developed based on the curriculum for a required library session in an introductory English composition course. The quizzes were designed to establish a baseline for student knowledge of information literacy as well as measure the effect of library instruction on student learning. We also sought to evaluate the suitability of the Blackboard learning management system for …

Methodology Appendix: On The Craft Of Sociology In The Digital Era, Jessie Daniels

Publications and Research

An appendix to the book that explores the methodology of studying the Internet.

Wikipedia, Me, And Ohp, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Métodos Qualitativos E Quantitativos Na Pesquisa Sobre Stress Ocupacional, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Edwin Farrell

Publications and Research

O presente artigo examina as formas pelas quais os métodos qualitativos e quantitativos se apóiam mutuamente na pesquisa sobre o stress ocupacional. Os métodos qualitativos incluem (a) obtenção de informações a partir de descrições livres de vivências no trabalho, (b) observações diretas, cuidadosas no local de trabalho e (c) observadores participantes que descrevem uma determinada experiência de trabalho a partir do local onde ela ocorre. Mostra, também, como a pesquisa qualitativa estimula o desenvolvimento de teorias, a geração de hipóteses e a identificação de estressores no trabalho e de respostas de coping. As limitações da pesquisa qualitativa, especialmente na área …

I Promise I Won't Say 'Herstory': New Conversations Among Feminists, Jannelle Ruswick, Alycia Sellie

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

1968/1989: Political Upheaval And Artistic Change, Claire Bishop, Marta Dziewanska

Publications and Research

Anthology of texts proceeding from the conference "1968/1989: Political Upheaval and Artistic Change" held at the Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw, in 2008.

Experience And Consciousness: Enhancing The Notion Of Musical Understanding, Adriana Renero

Publications and Research

Abstract:

Disagreeing with Jerrold Levinson’s claim that being conscious of broad span musical form is not essential to understanding music, I will argue that our awareness of musical architecture is significant to achieve comprehension. I will show that the experiential model is not incompatible with the analytic model. My main goal is to show that these two models can be reconciled through the identification of a broader notion of understanding. After accomplishing this reconciliation by means of my new conception, I will close the paper by discussing some reasons to accept an enhancing notion of musical understanding that includes levels …

Neural Substrates Of Sound–Touch Synesthesia After A Thalamic Lesion, Michael S. Beauchamp, Tony Ro

Publications and Research

Neural plasticity induced by stroke can mediate positive outcomes, such as recovery of function, but can also result in the formation of abnormal connections with negative consequences for perception and cognition. In three experiments using blood-oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined the neural substrates of acquired auditory-tactile synesthesia, in which certain sounds can produce an intense somatosensory tingling sensation in a patient with a thalamic lesion. Compared with nine normal controls, the first experiment showed that the patient had a threefold greater BOLD response to sounds in the parietal operculum, the location of secondary somatosensory cortex. …

Successful Weight Loss Maintenance In Relation To Method Of Weight Loss, Angela Marinilli Pinto, Amy A. Gorin, Hollie A. Raynor, Deborah F. Tate, Joseph L. Fava, Rena R. Wing

Publications and Research

This study examined the relation between method of weight loss and long-term maintenance among successful weight losers enrolled in a weight-loss maintenance trial. Participants were 186 adults (mean age = 51.6 +/- 10.7 years, mean BMI = 28.6 +/- 4.7 kg/m(2)) enrolled in the STOP Regain trial who had lost at least 10% of their body weight in the past 2 years using a very low-calorie diet (VLCD; n = 24), commercial program (n = 95), or self-guided approach (n = 67). Participants were randomized to a weight-maintenance intervention delivered face to face or over the internet or to a …

Experiencing Visuo-Motor Plasticity By Prism Adaptation In A Classroom Setting, Andrea Li

Publications and Research

Neural plasticity is a key topic in the study of behavioral neuroscience, yet it can be a difficult concept to demonstrate in a classroom setting. In this report, we describe an interactive technique that can be used to demonstrate and quantify in a laboratory setting the plasticity of motor coordination to altered visual input, i.e. visuo-motor plasticity. Visual input can be easily altered by horizontally-displacing prism goggles. Open-loop motor coordination immediately after putting on these goggles is inaccurate. However, after performing a number of visuo-motor tasks wearing these goggles, coordination adapts and improves. Immediately after removing the goggles, a robust …

Hiv/Aids: An Opportunistic Infection Of Globalization?, David H. Lee

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Enduring Mental Health Morbidity And Social Function Impairment In World Trade Center Rescue, Recovery, And Cleanup Workers: The Psychological Dimension Of An Environmental Health Disaster, Jeanne Mager Stellman, Rebecca P. Smith, Craig L. Katz, Vansh Sharma, Dennis S. Charney, Robin Herbert, Jacqueline Moline, Benjamin J. Luft, Steven Markowitz, Iris Udasin, Denise Harrison, Sherry Baron, Philip J. Landrigan, Stephen M. Levin, Steven Southwick

Publications and Research

Background The World Trade Center (WTC) attacks exposed thousands of workers to hazardous environmental conditions and psychological trauma. In 2002, to assess the health of these workers, Congress directed the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to establish the WTC Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program. This program has established a large cohort of WTC rescue, recovery, and cleanup workers. We previously documented extensive pulmonary dysfunction in this cohort related to toxic environmental exposures. Objectives Our objective in this study was to describe mental health outcomes, social function impairment, and psychiatric comorbidity in the WTC worker cohort, as well as …

An Integrated Intervention In Pregnant African Americans Reduces Postpartum Risk: A Randomized Trial, Ayman El-Mohandes, Michele Kiely, Jill G. Joseph, Siva Subramanian, Allan A. Johnson, Susn M. Blake, Marie G. Gantz, M. Nabil El-Khorazaty

Publications and Research

Objective—To evaluate the efficacy of an integrated multiple risk intervention delivered mainly during pregnancy, in reducing such risks (smoking, environmental tobacco smoke exposure, depression and intimate partner violence) postpartum.

Design—Data from this randomized controlled trial were collected prenatally and on average 10 weeks postpartum in six prenatal care sites in the District of Columbia. African Americans were screened, recruited and randomly assigned to the behavioral intervention or usual care. Clinic-based, individually tailored counseling was delivered to intervention women. The outcome measures were number of reisks reported postpartum and reduction of these risks between baseline and postpartum.

Results—The …

Laurate Biosensors Image Brain Neurotransmitters In Vivo: Can An Antihypertensive Medication Alter Psychostimulant Behavior?, Patricia A. Broderick, Helen Ho, Karyn Wat, Vivek Murthy

Publications and Research

Neuromolecular Imaging (NMI) with novel biosensors enables the selective detection of neurotransmitters in vivo within seconds, on line and in real time. Biosensors remain in place for continuing studies over a period of months. This biotechnological advance is based on conventional electrochemistry; the biosensors detect neurotransmitters by electron transfer. Simply stated, biosensors adsorb electrons from each neurotransmitter at specific oxidation potentials; the current derived from electron transfer is proportional to neurotransmitter concentration. Selective electron transfer properties of these biosensors permit the imaging of neurotransmitters, metabolites and precursors. The novel BRODERICK PROBE® biosensors we have developed, differ in formulation and detection …

Rousseau, The Anticosmopolitan?, Helena Rosenblatt

Publications and Research

Rousseau's repeated criticisms of the Enlightenment's ideal of cosmopolitanism has led to his thought being characterized as 'anticosmopolitan'. His work abounds in denunciations of the ideals of equality of treatment and universal rights supported by his contemporaries. Moreover, his liking of solitude, introspection and socialization in small circles and his preference for patriotism over equity among all men seem to set him up as the counterpoint of the universalism his contemporaries defended. However, a deeper insight into the work of the author of The Reveries of the Solitary Walker shows that, far from being incompatible with true cosmopolitanism, the moral …

Las Cuestiones Sicilianas De Ibn Sab‘Īn: El Texto, Sus Fuentes Y Su Contexto Histórico, Anna Ayşe Akasoy

Publications and Research

The Sicilian Questions are the earliest pre-served text of the philosopher and Sufi Ibn Sab‘īn of Murcia (c. 614/1217-668/1270). Even though the prologue of the text claims that it is a response to questions sent by Frederick II to the Arab world, it seems more likely that it was an introductory manual for Arab students of philosophy, dealing with four specific and controversial problems as away of presenting general concepts of Aristotelian philosophy. This article analyses the structure and way of argumentation in the Sicilian Questions. Particular attention is being paid to the relationship between mysticism and philosophy and …

Articulating Identity: Refining Postcolonial And Whiteness Perspectives On Race Within Communication Studies, Gordon Alley-Young

Publications and Research

This paper juxtaposes postcolonial and whiteness scholarship to identify gaps and clarify influences on critical race scholarship within communication studies. This paper considers the multiplicity of each perspective and identifies the focus on race and the body as communicative texts as a linkage that unites the three perspectives. How each perspective informs a communicative understanding of race is explored through the constructs of Cartesian dualism, performance, and the gaze. The paper concludes with suggestions for future directions for interrogating race within the communication discipline, including a consideration of how white privilege is extended to and assumed by individuals who are …

Demonstrating Cerebral Vascular Networks: A Comparison Of Methods For The Teaching Laboratory, Raddy L. Ramos, Phoebe T. Smith, Susan D. Croll, Joshua C. Brumberg

Publications and Research

One challenge of neuroscience educators is to make accessible to students as many aspects of brain structure and function as possible. The anatomy and function of the cerebrovasculature is among many topics of neuroscience that are underrepresented in undergraduate neuroscience education. Recognizing this deficit, we evaluated methods to produce archival tissue specimens of the cerebrovasculature and the “neurovascular unit” for instruction and demonstration in the teaching lab. An additional goal of this project was to identify the costs of each method as well as to determine which method(s) could be adapted into lab exercises, where students participate in the tissue …

Young Infants' Neural Processing Of Objects Is Affected By Eye Gaze Direction And Emotional Expression, Stefanie Hoehl, Lisa Wiese, Tricia Striano

Publications and Research

Eye gaze is an important social cue which is used to determine another person's focus of attention and intention to communicate. In combination with a fearful facial expression eye gaze can also signal threat in the environment. The ability to detect and understand others' social signals is essential in order to avoid danger and enable social evaluation. It has been a matter of debate when infants are able to use gaze cues and emotional facial expressions in reference to external objects. Here we demonstrate that by 3 months of age the infant brain differentially responds to objects as a function …

Hip Surgery Candidates: A Comparative Study Of Hip Osteoarthritis And Prior Hip Fracture Patient Characteristics, Ray Marks

Publications and Research

Aim: To assess similarities and differences in patient-related characteristics before and after surgery for painful disabling hip osteoarthritis among elderly subgroups with and without a trauma history. Method: First, a cohort of 1000 hospitalized patients were assessed for trends in: perceived duration of the condition, pain intensity, functional performance ability, walking distance, body mass, and comorbidity characteristics among other factors. Then, the most salient of these patient-related characteristics were compared between 42 cases of hip osteoarthritis without a trauma history and 42 cases with a trauma history matched for age and gender, using medical records and standard data recording and …

Across The Pond: Ea-Ohp— Sohp Summit Meeting, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Jonathan Houdmont

Publications and Research

On March 6, 2008 at the APA/NIOSH/SOHP Conference on Work, Stress, and Health in Washington, DC, the executive committees and other involved members of the Society for Occupational Health Psychology and the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology held a summit meeting. The gathering was the latest in an ongoing series that began at the EA-OHP Dublin 2006 conference. The main discussion points and outcomes of interest to members are presented here.

Maternal Cocaine Administration In Mice Alters Dna Methylation And Gene Expression In Hippocampal Neurons Of Neonatal And Prepubertal Offspring, Svetlana I. Novikova, Fang He, Jie Bai, Nicholas J. Cutrufello, Michael S. Lidow, Ashiwel S. Undieh

Publications and Research

Previous studies documented significant behavioral changes in the offspring of cocaine-exposed mothers. We now explore the hypothesis that maternal cocaine exposure could alter the fetal epigenetic machinery sufficiently to cause lasting neurochemical and functional changes in the offspring. Pregnant CD1 mice were administered either saline or 20 mg/kg cocaine twice daily on gestational days 8–19. Male pups from each of ten litters of the cocaine and control groups were analyzed at 3 (P3) or 30 (P30) days postnatum. Global DNA methylation, methylated DNA immunoprecipitation followed by CGI2 microarray profiling and bisulfite sequencing, as well as quantitative real-time RT-PCR gene expression …

The Impact Of Emerging Technologies In The Workplace: Who's Watching The Man (Who's Watching Me)?, William A. Herbert, Amelia Tuminaro

Publications and Research

This 2008 law review article examines the state of the law and regulation concerning the introduction of then new technologies in the workplace to track and monitor workers.

Racism And Ambulatory Blood Pressure In A Community Sample, Elizabeth Brondolo, Daniel Libby, Ellen-Ge Denton

Publications and Research

Objective: Racism has been identified as a psychosocial stressor that may contribute to disparities in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The goal of the present article was to investigate the relationship of perceived racism to ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) in a sample of American-born Blacks and Latinos.

Methods: Participants included English-speaking Black or Latino(a) adults between the ages of 24 and 65. They completed daily mood diaries and measures of perceived racism, socioeconomic status, and hostility. Participants were outfitted with ABP monitors; 357 provided data on waking hours only, and 245 provided data on both waking and nocturnal ABP.

Results: …

Africana Studies And Research Methodology: Revisiting The Centrality Of The Afrikan Worldview In Africana Studies Research And Scholarship, Karanja Keita Carroll

Publications and Research

This essay engages questions of methodology and philosophical assumptions as they impinge upon discipline-specific scholarship in Africana Studies and ultimately on arguments in Africology. Through an investigation of the worldview concept as discussed within the scholarship of Vernon Dixon, the Afrikan/Black psychologists and other Afrikan-centered scholars this essay attempts to reorient this discussion to questions which are pertinent to the development and utilization of the Afrikan Worldview as a research methodology in Africana Studies. We conclude with the possible implications this analysis can have on Africana Studies and Africological scholarship.

Depression In Parkinson's Disease: Health Risks, Etiology, And Treatment Options, Pasquale G. Frisina, Joan C. Borod, Nancy S. Foldi, Harriet R. Tenenbaum

Publications and Research

Depression is found in about 30%-40% of all patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), but only a small percentage (about 20%) receive treatment. As a consequence, many PD patients suffer with reduced health-related quality of life. To address quality of life in depressed PD patients, we reviewed the literature on the health correlates of depression in PD (eg, cognitive function), etiology of depression in PD, and treatment options (ie, antidepressants, electroconvulsive therapy, and psychotherapy). The current review is unique in its focus on psychosocial aspects, as well as neuropathological factors, of depression in PD. Overall, we conclude that neurochemical (eg, serotonin) …

The Ethics Of Interrogation And The American Psychological Association: A Critique Of Policy And Process, Brad Olson, Stephen Soldz, Martha Davis

Publications and Research

The Psychological Ethics and National Security (PENS) task force was assembled by the American Psychological Association (APA) to guide policy on the role of psychologists in interrogations at foreign detention centers for the purpose of U.S. national security. The task force met briefly in 2005, and its report was quickly accepted by the APA Board of Directors and deemed consistent with the APA Ethics Code by the APA Ethics Committee. This rapid acceptance was unusual for a number of reasons but primarily because of the APA's long-standing tradition of taking great care in developing ethical policies that protected anyone who …

Resuscitating Proportionality In Non Capital Criminal Sentencing, Donna H. Lee

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Resuscitating Proportionality In Noncapital Criminal Sentencing, Donna Lee

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.