Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The University Of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study: Predictors Of Human Serum Dioxin Concentrations In Midland And Saginaw, Michigan, David H. Garabrant, Alfred Franzblau, James Lepkowski, Brenda W. Gillespie, Peter Adriaens, Avery Demond, Elizabeth Hedgeman, Kristine Knutson, Lynn Zwica, Kristen Olson, Timothy Towey, Qixuan Chen, Biling Hong, Chiung-Wen Chang, Shih-Yuan Lee, Barbara Ward, Kathy Ladronka, William Luksemburg, Martha Maier

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Background: We conducted a population-based human exposure study in response to concerns among the population of Midland and Saginaw counties, Michigan, that discharges by the Dow Chemical Company of dioxin-like compounds into the nearby river and air had led to an increase in residents’ body burdens of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), here collectively referred to as “dioxins.”

Objectives: We sought to identify factors that explained variation in serum dioxin concentrations among the residents of Midland and Saginaw counties. Exposures to dioxins in soil, river sediments, household dust, historic emissions, and contaminated fish and …

A Statewide Intervention Reduces Bmi In Adults: Shape Up Rhode Island Results, Rena R. Wing, Angela Marinilli Pinto, Melissa M. Crane, Rajiv Kumar, Brad Weinberg, Amy A. Gorin

Publications and Research

Given the epidemic of obesity, approaches to weight loss that can be applied on a community, state, or national level are needed. We report results from Shape Up Rhode Island 2007 (SURI), a state-wide Internet based program involving team-based competition to increase physical activity and achieve weight loss. A total of 4,717 adults (84% female; mean BMI = 29.6 kg/m2 ) enrolled in the 16 week weight loss competition of SURI and 3311 completed at least 12 weeks. Completers reported losing 3.2 ± 3.4 kg, and 30% achieved a clinically significant weight loss of 5% or more. Although modest, these …

Gentilly Retail Study: 2009, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

The following report is an analysis of retail in Gentilly in the Spring 2009 term with some updates throughout the semester (site inventory was taken in the last two weeks of January and first week of February). The report reflects data gathered by a graduate student planning team from the University of New Orleans Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Professors Renia Ehrenfeucht and Marla Nelson directed thirteen graduate students in producing this report The team’s objective was to produce a reliable source of current information for community decision‐makers and stakeholders to use in the recovery of retail services and …

Library Profile: Barb Ritty, Susan Hamilton

Law Library Staff & Faculty Works

Barbara Ritty worked for the Kresge Law Library from 1985–2012.

(The Way I See It): Try On A New Pair Of Sensible Shoes: What Libraries Can Learn About Customer Service And Organizational Culture, Rebecca Tolley-Stokes

ETSU Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

State Report Of Unmet Needs For Quarter 3 Fy '09 (Jan- Mar '09), Helen Hemminger Mmhs

Disability & Aging

No abstract provided.

The Economics Of Fundamentalism, Ishrat Husain Dr.

Faculty Research - Newspaper and Magazine Articles

Growing religious fundamentalism in Pakistan and other muslim countries has aroused a lot of anxiety particularly among the urban educated middle classes. Their lifestyles are at serious risk and the recent speculations that Taliban were about to take overPeshawarhad left a lot of chill in the spines of most of the people belonging to this class.

Why is fundamentalism despite its obscurantist and unreal view of Islam spreading so fast? Why did Hamas sweep the elections in Palestine? Why are other fringe religious organizations gaining popularity in other Muslim countries?

Most of the analyses explaining the resurgence of fundamentalism in …

Food Justice As Crime Prevention, Avi Brisman

Journal of Food Law & Policy

In December 2008, Governor David Paterson (D-NY) proposed an 18 percent tax on nondiet sodas and fruit drinks containing less than 70 percent natural fruit juice. While the tax was part of a broader budget proposal designed to address New York State's fiscal crisis - a plan that that included new taxes and tax hikes on 137 items and services' - state officials promoted the "obesity tax," as the soft drink levy came to be called, as a public health measure.

The Slow Food Story: Politics And Pleasure, Emily Reynolds

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Geoff Andrews' historical account of the development of "Slow Food" is an inspiring and descriptive story detailing the rise and impact this movement has had on a worldwide scale. Beginning with the movement's origins, first in Italy, in the 1960s and 1970s, Andrews is able to provide readers with an understanding of the motives behind founder Carlo Petrini's desire to develop the Slow Food way of thinking. This in-depth examination of the culture and politics behind the Slow Food movement both critiques the modern fast-pace world in which we live, and also promotes the idea that Slow Food's alternative ideals …

Whatever Happened To Old Mac Donald's Farm… Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, Factory Farming And The Safety Of The Nation's Food Supply, Julie Follmer, Roseann B. Termini

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Today, livestock farming is a far stretch from the nostalgic notion of animals grazing in green pastures, roaming free in the fresh country air and returning at the end of the day to a cozy barn. Simply stated, livestock farming is a large scale business, where tens of thousands of animals are swiftly raised industrial-style for maximum profit. Under the "factory farm" model, large corporate owned operations grow quantities of animals for slaughter for human consumption as food. In fact, livestock farms now raise 40% of all animals in the United States.

Nanofood: Legal And Regulatory Challenges, Abu Bakar Munir, Siti Hajar Mohd. Yasin

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Nanotechnology will have a significant impact on food production in a variety of ways, both directly and indirectly. The growth and complexity of nanotechnology in food applications poses new challenges for the existing food regulation as well as the regulatory authority. This article seeks to examine the legal and regulatory challenges posed by the nanotechnology applications in the food industry. This article reviews some of the relevant legislation in the U.S. and E.U. in dealing with nanofood and the industry. This article also provides an assessment on the adequacy of those laws and identifies the possible gaps and weaknesses in …

What Do Consumers Really Pay On Their Checking And Credit Card Accounts? Explicit, Implicit, And Avoidable Costs, Victor Stango, Jonathan Zinman

Dartmouth Scholarship

No abstract provided.

A Cross-Country Empirical Analysis Of International Reserves, Yin-Wong Cheung, Hiro Ito

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using data from more than 100 economies for the period of 1975 to 2005, we conduct an extensive empirical analysis of the determinants of international reserve holdings. Four groups of determinants, namely, traditional macro variables, financial variables, institutional variables, and dummy variables that control for individual economies’ characteristics are considered. We find that the relationship between international reserves and their determinants is significantly different between developed and developing economies and is not stable over time. The estimation results indicate that, especially during the recent period, a developed economy tends to hold a lower level of international reserves than a developing …

Rrh Library Newsletter, May 2009, Libraries At Rochester Regional Health

Rochester Regional Health authored publications and proceedings

Newsletter sections include: Needlestick Injuries; “World Health Organization Issues Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Healthcare” by Laurie Barclay, MD

Attachment Styles And Children In Foster Care: A Study Involving Art Therapy Evaluation, Abigail Johnson

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This case study explored the attachment style and perceptions of family, from the perspective of children in the foster care system, through the use of art therapy evaluative methods. The participants for this study included two half-sisters in the second and fourth grades. The Art Therapy-Projective Imagery Assessment (AT-PIA) was adapted and used to construct a well-rounded understanding of each client. Within the adapted AT-PIA, the Human Figure Drawing and the Bird’s Nest Drawing were evaluated using rating schemes. A dyad session was held with the two participants, where a Safe Place Sculpture was created. Review of the artwork revealed …

An Examination Of The Non-Gaming Nightlife Entertainment Sector Of Las Vegas Resort-Casinos, Jennifer Miyakubo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper provides an overview of the non-gaming nightlife entertainment sector of Las Vegas resort-casinos. Three qualitative interviews with executives of The Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, The Monte Carlo Las Vegas Resort and Casino, and The Mirage Las Vegas were conducted to examine their perceptions and needs in the industry. This paper examines the impact the current economic recession is having on the Las Vegas nightlife and also reveals what types of questions resort-casino operators want to know about their customer. This exploratory research is a useful preliminary step that helps ensure that a more rigorous, more conclusive future …

The Archaeology And Mobility At 10-Cn-05, An Archaeological Site, Middle Snake River, Idaho, Tedd D. Jacobs

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Excavations during 2007 and 2008 at site 10-CN-05, an archaeological site located on the Middle Snake River, five miles south of Melba, Idaho, uncovered material culture remains dating to the Late Archaic (2,500, years ago). An analysis of the archaeological remains, consisting of artifacts, lithic debris, and faunal remains, has provided insights into activities that occurred along the Western Snake River corridor. These activities include maintenance of lithic tools and procurement of medium and small sized mammals. The archaeology of 10-CN-05 suggests a pattern of sparsely populated, highly mobile hunter-gatherers making infrequent use of the area with relatively few repeat …

Household And Property Relations In Tuva, Tayana Arakchaa

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the transformation of households and property relations in one of the remote provinces of Southern Siberia - Tyva Republic. The thesis identifies continuities and developments in land tenure during the Soviet and post-Soviet periods and tests various theoretical propositions in Economic Anthropology. Land tenure and resource management is a central issue in Tyva.

Particular attention is paid to the segment of Tyvan people who have continued a traditional style of life – the herders and hunters who are now living in new political and economical conditions. Even though their number is not big, the people in the …

Schisms In Humanitarianism: The Khmer Rouge Tribunal's First Hearing, Mahdev Mohan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Mass atrocity invokes humanitarian impulses in all of us. But when a genocidaire casts himself as a victim, the right response is less straightforward. This article analyzes a recent hearing of one of Cambodia's most feared Khmer Rouge cadres who stands trial before a newly established hybrid tribunal and suggests the consequences of responding to war crime trials with polemics rather than principle.

Perceptions Of Employers Toward Hiring Graduates With Online Degrees, Leisa Dione Thompson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since the late 1990s, online education programs for academic credit have emerged in colleges and universities across the country at an astonishing rate. Enrollment in online courses and online degree programs has grown dramatically. Online education is in high demand because it allows individuals to pursue an education while maintaining their full-time jobs and commitments to their families. However, the employability of a graduate with an online degree has not kept pace with the growth of this delivery method. This study was an attempt to explore the workforce sentiments concerning employment of college graduates obtaining a degree completed through online …

Quest For Quotidian: A National Survey Of Non-Heterosexual Attitudes Toward Marriage, Troy A. Mcginnis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Marriage equality remains a legal impossibility for same-sex couples in most states, and opponents are concerned that expansion of marriage to include gays and lesbians would radically redefine the institution. Findings from an online survey of lesbians, gays and bisexuals— a non-random sample of 466 adult men and women age 18 to 74 in 37 states— strongly suggest that many non-heterosexuals' attitudes reflect neither a radical departure from core definitions of marriage, nor a rejection of traditional "family values," but instead signal an assimilationist position favorable to traditional marriage norms rather than a liberationist position critical of the institution.

African American Parental Beliefs About Resiliency: A Delphi Study, Vita L. Jones

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Resiliency is a concept that has been discussed in the fields of anthropology, psychology, sociology, and education for over 30 years. Most authors define resiliency as the ability to triumph over adversity. The term associated with children/youth who rise above negative situations is resilient. A subgroup of students who are disproportionately affected by negative perceptions from society and who often find themselves in negative situations are African American children/youth. It appears that these students encounter less social fit in school, have a higher propensity for at-risk behavior, and experience less favorable academic and social outcomes.

This study involved a Delphi …

Adult Estimation, Eye Movements And Math Anxiety, Robert T. Durette

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this experiment the estimation ability of college undergraduates was examined using a number line task, with lines numbered 0-to-100, 0-to1,000 and 0-to-723 presented on a computer monitor. Previous research on kindergarteners' through 6^th graders' ability to estimate showed a progression from a logarithmic mental representation of numbers to a linear mental number line. Children's ability to estimate was found to correlate strongly with math achievement. We used this task to examine the hypothesis that remnants of the underlying logarithmic number line representation persist into adulthood despite formal educational experience with the number system (e.g. Dehaene, 1997). 0 to …

Response: If Money Were No Object, What Are The Two Top Features You Would Seek In Your New/Remodeled Dream Library?, Christopher S. O'Byrne

Journal Articles

Member to Member column.

Seven librarians respond to the query, "If money were no object, what are the two top features you would seek in your new/remodeled dream library?"

Three Essays On The Effects Of Reverting Capital Flows On U.S. Financial Markets, Rahames A. Lizardo

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The United States has been running, for a long time now, an-increasing current account deficit. In fact, the U.S. has a current account deficit with most countries in the world. The implication is that Americans have been enjoying an ever-increasing standard of living by consuming way more than what they produce, not only manufactured goods, but also important commodities such as oil. In other words, a significant fraction of our prosperity is based on borrowing rather than increased production. These persistent deficits, which translate into additional indebtedness by the U.S. and an-ever increasing amount of dollars reserves by countries such …

Family History Of Alcohol Abuse Moderates Effectiveness Of A Group Motivational Enhancement Intervention In College Women, Joseph W. Labrie, Nashla Feres, Shannon R. Kenney, Andrew Lac

Heads Up!

This study examined whether a self-reported family history of alcohol abuse (FH+) moderated the effects of a female-specific group motivational enhancement intervention with first-year college women. First-year college women (N= 287) completed an initial questionnaire and attended an intervention (n=161) or control (n=126) group session, of which 118 reported FH+. Repeated measures ANCOVA models were estimated to investigate whether the effectiveness of the intervention varied as a function of one’s reported family history of alcohol abuse. Results revealed that family history of alcohol abuse moderated intervention efficacy. Although the intervention was effective in producing …

Gender And Friendship Norms Among Older Adults, Diane Felmlee, Anna M. Muraco

Sociology Faculty Works

The authors examined same- and cross-gender friendship norms in a sample of 135 adults (average age 73 years). Participants evaluated a friend’s behavior, quantitatively and qualitatively, in vignettes in which the friend’s gender was experimentally manipulated. Gender often significantly, though modestly, influenced normative evaluations. Women frequently had higher expectations of friends than men and placed a greater emphasis on intimacy. Women were more disapproving of violations of friendship rules, such as betraying a confidence, paying a surprise visit, and failing to stand up for a friend in public. However, both men and women were less approving of a man than …

Examining The Relationship Between Proactive Personality And Career Success, Jeremy J. Owens

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

With increasing levels of employee autonomy and responsibility in today's workforce, proactive behavior and the performance of discretionary, extra-role work behaviors are being recognized as vital to effective organizational functioning. This study examined one mechanism that may explain how proactive personality relates to career success: through a person's extra-role behaviors including innovation, contextual performance, and organizational citizenship behavior. Data were collected from 302 employees of a large manufacturing organization in the Midwestern United States. Hierarchical regression and multiple mediation analyses showed that the relationship between personality and career success is at least partially mediated by the extra-role behaviors, even after …

Work-Family Balance And Religion: A Resource Based Perspective, Shivani Praful Patel

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

It is increasingly recognized that work and family roles do not represent fully separate life domains (Voydanoff, 2004). This is one reason, why occupational health researchers and practitioners are working to understand and facilitate balance between work and nonwork roles. Most existing literature defines interrole balance by emphasizing work and family roles alone; unfortunately, this narrow focus prevents us from recognizing individuals’ engagements in many other roles that may also influence one’s balance. The present study was designed to expand our thinking about work-nonwork role balance by presenting and testing a model that incorporates a third important role, involvement in …

Evaluating Web-Based Realistic Job Preview Formats: Applicant Attraction, Intentions To Pursue, And Job Acceptance Decisions, Laure L. Rodenbaugh

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

A recent trend in organizational selection is the use of web-based job search engines to post current employment opportunities. This study utilized a sample of junior and senior level undergraduate business and psychology students expected to actively be searching for permanent employment within one year. Three different job advertisement/RJP conditions were employed: presentation of standard/general job and company information, a written RJP with general company information, and a video-formatted RJP with general information about the company. Each condition was formatted to resemble those job postings currently in use on the web. Corresponding scales intended to measure the participant’s attraction to …