Showing papers by "Georgia College & State University published in 2016"

XIPE: the x-ray imaging polarimetry explorer

Abstract: XIPE, the X-ray Imaging Polarimetry Explorer, is a mission dedicated to X-ray Astronomy. At the time of writing XIPE is in a competitive phase A as fourth medium size mission of ESA (M4). It promises to reopen the polarimetry window in high energy Astrophysics after more than 4 decades thanks to a detector that efficiently exploits the photoelectric effect and to X-ray optics with large effective area. XIPE uniqueness is time-spectrally-spatially- resolved X-ray polarimetry as a breakthrough in high energy astrophysics and fundamental physics. Indeed the payload consists of three Gas Pixel Detectors at the focus of three X-ray optics with a total effective area larger than one XMM mirror but with a low weight. The payload is compatible with the fairing of the Vega launcher. XIPE is designed as an observatory for X-ray astronomers with 75 % of the time dedicated to a Guest Observer competitive program and it is organized as a consortium across Europe with main contributions from Italy, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, Poland, Sweden.

Phylogenomics of Lophotrochozoa with Consideration of Systematic Error.

Abstract: Phylogenomic studies have improved understanding of deep metazoan phylogeny and show promise for resolving incongruences among analyses based on limited numbers of loci. One region of the animal tree that has been especially difficult to resolve, even with phylogenomic approaches, is relationships within Lophotrochozoa (the animal clade that includes molluscs, annelids, and flatworms among others). Lack of resolution in phylogenomic analyses could be due to insufficient phylogenetic signal, limitations in taxon and/or gene sampling, or systematic error. Here, we investigated why lophotrochozoan phylogeny has been such a difficult question to answer by identifying and reducing sources of systematic error. We supplemented existing data with 32 new transcriptomes spanning the diversity of Lophotrochozoa and constructed a new set of Lophotrochozoa-specific core orthologs. Of these, 638 orthologous groups (OGs) passed strict screening for paralogy using a tree-based approach. In order to reduce possible sources of systematic error, we calculated branch-length heterogeneity, evolutionary rate, percent missing data, compositional bias, and saturation for each OG and analyzed increasingly stricter subsets of only the most stringent (best) OGs for these five variables. Principal component analysis of the values for each factor examined for each OG revealed that compositional heterogeneity and average patristic distance contributed most to the variance observed along the first principal component while branch-length heterogeneity and, to a lesser extent, saturation contributed most to the variance observed along the second. Missing data did not strongly contribute to either. Additional sensitivity analyses examined effects of removing taxa with heterogeneous branch lengths, large amounts of missing data, and compositional heterogeneity. Although our analyses do not unambiguously resolve lophotrochozoan phylogeny, we advance the field by reducing the list of viable hypotheses. Moreover, our systematic approach for dissection of phylogenomic data can be applied to explore sources of incongruence and poor support in any phylogenomic data set. [Annelida; Brachiopoda; Bryozoa; Entoprocta; Mollusca; Nemertea; Phoronida; Platyzoa; Polyzoa; Spiralia; Trochozoa.].

Efficacy of mindfulness-based addiction treatment (MBAT) for smoking cessation and lapse recovery: A randomized clinical trial

Abstract: OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Addiction Treatment (MBAT) to a Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) that matched MBAT on treatment contact time, and a Usual Care (UC) condition that comprised brief individual counseling. METHOD Participants (N = 412) were 48.2% African American, 41.5% non-Latino White, 5.4% Latino, and 4.9% other, and 57.6% reported a total annual household income < $30,000. The majority of participants were female (54.9%). Mean cigarettes per day was 19.9 (SD = 10.1). Following the baseline visit, participants were randomized to UC (n = 103), CBT (n = 155), or MBAT (n = 154). All participants were given self-help materials and nicotine patch therapy. CBT and MBAT groups received 8 2-hr in-person group counseling sessions. UC participants received 4 brief individual counseling sessions. Biochemically verified smoking abstinence was assessed 4 and 26 weeks after the quit date. RESULTS Logistic random effects model analyses over time indicated no overall significant treatment effects (completers only: F(2, 236) = 0.29, p = .749; intent-to-treat: F(2, 401) = 0.9, p = .407). Among participants classified as smoking at the last treatment session, analyses examining the recovery of abstinence revealed a significant overall treatment effect, F(2, 103) = 4.41, p = .015 (MBAT vs. CBT: OR = 4.94, 95% CI: 1.47 to 16.59, p = .010, Effect Size = .88; MBAT vs. UC: OR = 4.18, 95% CI: 1.04 to 16.75, p = .043, Effect Size = .79). CONCLUSION Although there were no overall significant effects of treatment on abstinence, MBAT may be more effective than CBT or UC in promoting recovery from lapses. (PsycINFO Database Record

NuSTAR Hard X-Ray Survey of the Galactic Center Region. II. X-Ray Point Sources

Abstract: We present the first survey results of hard X-ray point sources in the Galactic Center (GC) region by NuSTAR. We have discovered 70 hard (3–79 keV) X-ray point sources in a 0.6 deg^2 region around Sgr A* with a total exposure of 1.7 Ms, and 7 sources in the Sgr B2 field with 300 ks. We identify clear Chandra counterparts for 58 NuSTAR sources and assign candidate counterparts for the remaining 19. The NuSTAR survey reaches X-ray luminosities of ∼4× and ∼8 × 10^(32) erg s^(-1) at the GC (8 kpc) in the 3–10 and 10–40 keV bands, respectively. The source list includes three persistent luminous X-ray binaries (XBs) and the likely run-away pulsar called the Cannonball. New source-detection significance maps reveal a cluster of hard (> 10 keV) X-ray sources near the Sgr A diffuse complex with no clear soft X-ray counterparts. The severe extinction observed in the Chandra spectra indicates that all the NuSTAR sources are in the central bulge or are of extragalactic origin. Spectral analysis of relatively bright NuSTAR sources suggests that magnetic cataclysmic variables constitute a large fraction (> 40%–60%). Both spectral analysis and logN–logS distributions of the NuSTAR sources indicate that the X-ray spectra of the NuSTAR sources should have kT > 20 keV on average for a single temperature thermal plasma model or an average photon index of Γ = 1.5–2 for a power-law model. These findings suggest that the GC X-ray source population may contain a larger fraction of XBs with high plasma temperatures than the field population.

Chandra X-Ray Spectroscopy of the Focused Wind in the Cygnus X-1 System. II. The Nondip Spectrum in the Low/Hard State - Modulations with Orbital Phase

Abstract: The accretion onto the black hole in the system HDE 226868/Cygnus X-1 is powered by the strong line driven stellar wind of the O-type donor star. We study the X-ray properties of the stellar wind in the hard state of Cyg X-1 as determined with data from the Chandra High Energy Transmission Gratings. Large density and temperature inhomogeneities are present in the wind, with a fraction of the wind consisting of clumps of matter with higher density and lower temperature embedded in a photoionized gas. Absorption dips observed in the light curve are believed to be caused by these clumps. This work concentrates on the non-dip spectra as a function of orbital phase. The spectra show lines of H-like and He-like ions of S, Si, Na, Mg, Al and highly ionized Fe (Fe xvii-Fe xxiv). We measure velocity shifts, column densities, and thermal broadening of the line series. The excellent quality of these five observations allows us to investigate the orbital phase dependence of these parameters. We show that the absorber is located close to the black hole. Doppler shifted lines point at a complex wind structure in this region, while emission lines seen in some observations are from a denser medium than the absorber. The observed line profiles are phase dependent. Their shapes vary from pure, symmetric absorption at the superior conjunction to P Cygni profiles at the inferior conjunction of the black hole.

A Meta-analysis of Wilderness Therapy Outcomes for Private Pay Clients

Abstract: Wilderness therapy is becoming a more widely used intervention for adolescents, but there have not been any meta-analyses focused solely on its clinical effectiveness for private pay clients. This study’s objective was to conduct outcome-based meta-analyses of private-pay wilderness therapy programs, benchmark primary features of this approach, and educate the clinical community as to its effectiveness. The authors conducted a review of all available databases, as well as manual searches. Searches resulted in a meta-analysis based on 36 studies, totaling 2399 participants receiving wilderness therapy. Our meta-analyses found medium effect sizes for all six constructs assessed: self-esteem (g = 0.49), locus of control (g = 0.55), behavioral observations (g = 0.75), personal effectiveness (g = 0.46), clinical measures (g = 0.50) and interpersonal measures (g = 0.54). Subgroup analyses included age of participants, duration of program, open or closed model, presence of a mental health practitioner, and publication year.

Chandra X-ray spectroscopy of focused wind in the Cygnus X-1 system - II. The non-dip spectrum in the low/hard state – modulations with orbital phase

Abstract: Accretion onto the black hole in the system HDE 226868/Cygnus X-1 is powered by the strong line-driven stellar wind of the O-type donor star. We study the X-ray properties of the stellar wind in the hard state of Cyg X-1, as determined using data from the Chandra High Energy Transmission Gratings. Large density and temperature inhomogeneities are present in the wind, with a fraction of the wind consisting of clumps of matter with higher density and lower temperature embedded in a photoionized gas. Absorption dips observed in the light curve are believed to be caused by these clumps. This work concentrates on the non-dip spectra as a function of orbital phase. The spectra show lines of H-like and He-like ions of S, Si, Na, Mg, Al, and highly ionized Fe (Fe xvii–Fe xxiv). We measure velocity shifts, column densities, and thermal broadening of the line series. The excellent quality of these five observations allows us to investigate the orbital phase-dependence of these parameters. We show that the absorber is located close to the black hole. Doppler shifted lines point at a complex wind structure in this region, while emission lines seen in some observations are from a denser medium than the absorber. The observed line profiles are phase-dependent. Their shapes vary from pure, symmetric absorption at the superior conjunction to P Cygni profiles at the inferior conjunction of the black hole.

Asian pheretimoid earthworms in North America north of Mexico: An illustrated key to the genera Amynthas, Metaphire, Pithemera, and Polypheretima (Clitellata: Megascolecidae).

Abstract: The invasion of the pheretimoid earthworms in North America, especially the genera Amynthas and Metaphire , has raised increasing concerns among ecologists and land managers, in turn increasing the need for proper identification However, the commonly used keys to this group are more than 30 years old with outdated taxonomic information and are based primarily on internal morphology The requirement of significant amount of taxonomic expertise and dissection, even from the first entry of the key, has prevented broader use of these keys As a result, many publications in the United States have used Amynthas spp to represent the group without identifying the species We present here a new key and diagnoses for the 16 pheretimoid earthworm species recorded in North America north of Mexico, including four genera: Amynthas (10), Metaphire (4), Pithemera (1), and Polypheretima (1) The descriptions were based on published records with modifications following inspection of specimens archived at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC Photos of external and internal characters, including male pores, spermathecal pores, genital markings, spermathecae, prostate glands, and intestinal caeca, are presented to help identification A summary of current knowledge about the ecology and historical context is provided for each species We also highlight the previously overlooked and potentially common and widespread co-occurrence of three species— A agrestis , A tokioensis , and M hilgendorfi —and point out that many recent claims of invasion of A agrestis need to be re-evaluated for potential misidentification

Input-output analysis of carbon emissions embodied in China-Japan trade

Abstract: Energy-related CO2 emissions embodied in international trade have been widely studied by researchers all over the world. By using the bilateral trade input–output (BTIO) approach, this study investigates the CO2 emissions embodied in China–Japan trade during 1995–2009 and attempts to identify the driving forces for the change in CO2 emissions embodied in China’s exports to Japan during that period by using structural decomposition analysis (SDA). Result shows that CO2 emissions embodied in China’s exports increased by about 100% from 1995 to 2009, whereas those embodied in China’s imports increased by about 500% during the same period. Result of this research also reveals that the scale effect had a large influence on the increase in CO2 emissions embodied in China–Japan trade. The technical effect greatly decreased CO2 emissions embodied in China’s exports to Japan, but obviously increased those embodied in imports. The influence of the structural effect was relatively small and insignificant in ...

NuSTAR Hard X-ray Survey of the Galactic Center Region II: X-ray Point Sources

Abstract: We present the first survey results of hard X-ray point sources in the Galactic Center (GC) region by NuSTAR. We have discovered 70 hard (3-79 keV) X-ray point sources in a 0.6 deg^2 region around Sgr A* with a total exposure of 1.7 Ms, and 7 sources in the Sgr B2 field with 300 ks. We identify clear Chandra counterparts for 58 NuSTAR sources and assign candidate counterparts for the remaining 19. The NuSTAR survey reaches X-ray luminosities of ~4 x and ~8 x 10^32 erg s^-1 at the GC (8 kpc) in the 3-10 and 10-40 keV bands, respectively. The source list includes three persistent luminous X-ray binaries and the likely run-away pulsar called the Cannonball. New source-detection significance maps reveal a cluster of hard (>10 keV) X-ray sources near the Sgr A diffuse complex with no clear soft X-ray counterparts. The severe extinction observed in the Chandra spectra indicates that all the NuSTAR sources are in the central bulge or are of extragalactic origin. Spectral analysis of relatively bright NuSTAR sources suggests that magnetic cataclysmic variables constitute a large fraction (>40-60%). Both spectral analysis and logN-logS distributions of the NuSTAR sources indicate that the X-ray spectra of the NuSTAR sources should have kT > 20 keV on average for a single temperature thermal plasma model or an average photon index of Gamma = 1.5 - 2 for a power-law model. These findings suggest that the GC X-ray source population may contain a larger fraction of X-ray binaries with high plasma temperatures than the field population.

Professional development in person: identity and the construction of teaching within a high school science department

Abstract: This is a narrative inquiry into the role of professional development in the construction of teaching practice by an exemplary urban high school science teacher. I collected data during 3 years of ethnographic participant observation in Marie Gonzalez’s classroom. Marie told stories about her experiences in ten years of professional development focused on inquiry science teaching. I use a social practice theory lens to analyze my own stories as well as Marie’s. I make the case that science teaching is best understood as mediated by socially-constructed identities rather than as the end-product of knowledge and beliefs. The cognitive paradigm for understanding teachers’ professional learning fails to consistently produce transformations of teaching practice. In order to design professional development with science teachers that is generative of new knowledge, and is self-sustaining, we must understand how to build knowledge of how to problematize identities and consciously use social practice theory.

Dispositional Mindfulness Predicts Enhanced Smoking Cessation and Smoking Lapse Recovery.

Abstract: Although mindfulness has been hypothesized to promote health behaviors, no research has examined how dispositional mindfulness might influence the process of smoking cessation. The current study investigated dispositional mindfulness, smoking abstinence, and recovery from a lapse among African American smokers. Participants were 399 African Americans seeking smoking cessation treatment (treatments did not include any components related to mindfulness). Dispositional mindfulness and other psychosocial measures were obtained pre-quit; smoking abstinence was assessed 3, 31 days, and 26 weeks post-quit. Individuals higher in dispositional mindfulness were more likely to quit smoking both initially and over time. Moreover, among individuals who had lapsed at day 3, those higher in mindfulness were more likely to recover abstinence by the later time points. The mindfulness-early abstinence association was mediated by lower negative affect, lower expectancies to regulate affect via smoking, and higher perceived social support. Results suggest that mindfulness might enhance smoking cessation among African American smokers by operating on mechanisms posited by prominent models of addiction.

Impact of the Minimum Wage on Youth Labor Markets

Abstract: We study the effect of the minimum wage on labor market outcomes for young workers using US county-level panel data from the first quarter of 2000 to the first quarter of 2009. We go beyond the usual estimates of earnings and employment effects to consider how differences across states in the minimum wage affect worker turnover via separations and accessions and job turnover through new job creation and job losses. We find that a higher minimum wage level is associated with higher earnings, lower employment and reduced worker turnover for those in the 14–18 age group. For workers aged 19–21 and 22–24, we find less consistent evidence of minimum wage effects on earnings and employment. But, even for these age groups, a higher minimum wage is found to reduce accessions, separations and the turnover rate.

Revealing the broad iron Kα line in Cygnus X-1 through simultaneous XMM-Newton, RXTE, and INTEGRAL observations

Abstract: We report on the analysis of the broad Fe K α line feature of Cyg X-1 in the spectra of four simultaneous hard intermediate state observations made with the X-ray Multiple Mirror mission ( XMM-Newton ), the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), and the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL). The high quality of the XMM-Newton data taken in the Modified Timing Mode of the EPIC-pn camera provides a great opportunity to investigate the broadened Fe K α reflection line at 6.4 keV with a very high signal to noise ratio. The 4–500 keV energy range is used to constrain the underlying continuum and the reflection at higher energies. We first investigate the data by applying a phenomenological model that consists of the sum of an exponentially cutoff power law and relativistically smeared reflection. Additionally, we apply a more physical approach and model the irradiation of the accretion disk directly from the lamp post geometry. All four observations show consistent values for the black hole parameters with a spin of a ~ 0.9, in agreement with recent measurements from reflection and disk continuum fitting. The inclination is found to be i ~ 30°, consistent with the orbital inclination and different from inclination measurements made during the soft state, which show a higher inclination. We speculate that the difference between the inclination measurements is due to changes in the inner region of the accretion disk.

Distributed Leadership and Teachers’ Affective Commitment:

Abstract: Principals’ responsibilities have escalated in quantity and complexity. Mandates to increase student achievement and improve school grades overwhelm one person. Hence, principals are obliged to enl...

Herschel Observations of Major Merger Pairs at z=0: Dust Mass and Star Formation

Abstract: We present Herschel PACS and SPIRE far-infrared (FIR) and submillimeter imaging observations for a large K-band selected sample of 88 close major-merger pairs of galaxies (H-KPAIRs) in 6 photometric bands (70, 100, 160, 250, 350, and 500 μm). Among 132 spiral galaxies in the 44 spiral–spiral (S+S) pairs and 44 spiral–elliptical (S+E) pairs, 113 are detected in at least 1 Herschel band. The star formation rate (SFR) and dust mass (M_(dust)) are derived from the IR SED fitting. The mass of total gas (M_(gas)) is estimated by assuming a constant dust-to-gas mass ratio of 0.01. Star-forming spiral galaxies (SFGs) in S+S pairs show significant enhancements in both specific star formation rate (sSFR) and star formation efficiency (SFE), while having nearly the same gas mass compared to control galaxies. On the other hand, for SFGs in S+E pairs, there is no significant sSFR enhancement and the mean SFE enhancement is significantly lower than that of SFGs in S+S pairs. This suggests an important role for the disk–disk collision in the interaction-induced star formation. The M_(gas) of SFGs in S+E pairs is marginally lower than that of their counterparts in both S+S pairs and the control sample. Paired galaxies with and without interaction signs do not differ significantly in their mean sSFR and SFE. As found in previous works, this much larger sample confirms that the primary and secondary spirals in S+S pairs follow a Holmberg effect correlation on sSFR.

Intermittence and Space-Time Fractional Stochastic Partial Differential Equations

Abstract: We consider time fractional stochastic heat type equation $$\partial^{\beta}_{t}u_{t}(x)=- u(-{\Delta})^{\alpha/2} u_{t}(x)+I^{1-\beta}_{t}[\sigma(u)\overset{\cdot}{W}(t,x)] $$ in (d + 1) dimensions, where ν > 0, β ∈ (0, 1), α ∈ (0, 2], $d<\min \{2,\beta ^{-1}\}\alpha $ , $\partial ^{\beta }_{t}$ is the Caputo fractional derivative, −(−Δ) α/2 is the generator of an isotropic stable process, $\overset {\cdot }{W}(t,x)$ is space-time white noise, and $\sigma :\mathbb {R}\to \mathbb {R}$ is Lipschitz continuous. The time fractional stochastic heat type equations might be used to model phenomenon with random effects with thermal memory. We prove: (i) absolute moments of the solutions of this equation grows exponentially; and (ii) the distances to the origin of the farthest high peaks of those moments grow exactly linearly with time. These results extend the results of Foondun and Khoshnevisan (Electron. J. Probab. 14(21), 548–568, 2009) and Conus and Khoshnevisan (Probab. Theory Relat. Fields 152(3–4), 681–701, 2012) on the parabolic stochastic heat equations.

A review of paleobotanical studies of the Early Eocene Okanagan (Okanogan) Highlands floras of British Columbia, Canada, and Washington, USA

Abstract: The history of plant fossil collecting in the Okanagan (Okanogan) Highlands of British Columbia and northeastern Washington is closely intertwined with the history of geological surveys and mining activities from the 1870s onward. The first descriptions of fossil plants from British Columbia were published in 1870–1920 by J.W. Dawson, G.M. Dawson, and D.P. Penhallow. In the United States, fossil leaves and fish were first recognized at Republic, Washington, by miners in the early 1900s. Many early workers considered these floras to be of Oligocene or Miocene age. C.A. Arnold described Canadian occurrences of conifers and Azolla in the 1950s. Palynological studies in the 1960s by L.V. Hills, G.E. Rouse, and others and those of fossil fish by M.V.H. Wilson in the 1970–1980s provided the framework for paleobotanical research at several key localities. Permineralized plants were first described from the Princeton chert in the 1970s by C.N. Miller, J.F. Basinger, and others, followed by R.A. Stockey and her st...

NuSTAR Discovery of a Cyclotron Line in the Accreting X-Ray Pulsar IGR J16393-4643

Abstract: The high-mass X-ray binary and accreting X-ray pulsar IGR J16393-4643 was observed by the Nuclear Spectroscope Telescope Array in the 3–79 keV energy band for a net exposure time of 50 ks. We present the results of this observation which enabled the discovery of a cyclotron resonant scattering feature with a centroid energy of 29.3^(+1.3)_(-1.1) keV. This allowed us to measure the magnetic field strength of the neutron star for the first time: B = (2.5 ± 0.1) × 10^(12) G. The known pulsation period is now observed at 904.0 ± 0.1 s. Since 2006, the neutron star has undergone a long-term spin-up trend at a rate of P = -2 x 10^(-8) s s^(−1) (−0.6 s per year, or a frequency derivative of v = 3 x 10^(-14) Hz s^(−1)). In the power density spectrum, a break appears at the pulse frequency which separates the zero slope at low frequency from the steeper slope at high frequency. This addition of angular momentum to the neutron star could be due to the accretion of a quasi-spherical wind, or it could be caused by the transient appearance of a prograde accretion disk that is nearly in corotation with the neutron star whose magnetospheric radius is around 2 × 10^8 cm.

The proteasome and epigenetics: zooming in on histone modifications.

Abstract: The proteasome is a structural complex of many proteins that degrades substrates marked by covalent linkage to ubiquitin. Many years of research has shown a role for ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated proteolysis in synaptic plasticity and memory mainly in degrading synaptic, cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins. Recent work indicates that the proteasome has wider proteolytic and non-proteolytic roles in processes such as histone modifications that affect synaptic plasticity and memory. In this review, we assess the evidence gathered from neuronal as well as non-neuronal cell types regarding the function of the proteasome in positive or negative regulation of posttranslational modifications of histones, such as acetylation, methylation and ubiquitination. We discuss the critical roles of the proteasome in clearing excess histone proteins in various cellular contexts and the possible non-proteolytic functions in regulating transcription of target genes. In addition, we summarize the current literature on diverse chromatin-remodeling machineries, such as histone acetyltransferases, deacetylates, methyltransferases and demethylases, as targets for proteasomal degradation across experimental models. Lastly, we provide a perspective on how proteasomal regulation of histone modifications may modulate synaptic plasticity in the nervous system.

Emotional appeal in recruitment advertising and applicant attraction: Unpacking national cultural differences

Abstract: Summary We investigated the impact of the type of emotional appeal (ego-focused vs. other-focused) used in recruiting advertisements on applicant attraction to firms through two experimental studies across three countries (the United States, China, and Singapore). In Study 1, we made a traditional cultural comparison between the United States and China, whose dominant cultural values are characterized by individualism and collectivism, respectively. We found applicants in the United States were more strongly attracted to firms whose recruiting advertisements were based on an ego-focused emotional appeal, while applicants in China were more attracted to firms that used ads with an other-focused emotional appeal. Study 2 was conducted in bicultural Singapore. We primed bicultural applicants to be either the individualistic or collectivistic aspect of their cultural heritage. Applicants with individualist priming were attracted to recruiting advertisements with an ego-focused emotional appeal, whereas applicants with collectivist priming were attracted to advertisements with an other-focused emotional appeal. In addition, both studies revealed that a job applicant's regulatory focus (promotion vs. prevention) mediated the influence of national culture on the relationship between type of emotional appeal and applicant attraction to firms. Practical implications and suggestions for future research also are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Meta-Analysis of Treatment Outcomes Measured by the Y-OQ and Y-OQ-SR Comparing Wilderness and Non-Wilderness Treatment Programs.

Abstract: Monitoring youth treatments requires outcome instruments sensitive to change. The Y-OQ and the Y-OQ-SR measure behavioral change during psychological treatment. The focus of this study was to compare treatment progress of youth in studies using the Youth Outcome Questionnaire (YOQ) or the Youth Outcome Questionnaire Self Report (YOQSR) in wilderness and non-wilderness treatment programs. Seventy-six manuscripts were examined. Inclusion criteria were (a) contained a version of the YOQ, (b) implemented mental health treatment, (c) contained sufficient data to obtain an effect size, and (d) had at least two data points (e.g., intake and termination). The final number of studies included for the Y-OQ was 15 and for the Y-OQ-SR was 11. Random effects model results, for studies using the YOQ, indicated a large (Cohen in Psychol Bull 112(1):155, 1992) effect size (g = .98, 95 % CIs [.71, 1.26]). The YOQ-SR results also indicated a large effect size (g = .80, 95 % CIs [.63, .96]). Treatment setting demonstrated a difference between wilderness and non-wilderness programs. For the Y-OQ (parent/guardian observation) effect sizes were higher for wilderness programs Qbetween = 91.82, df = 1, p < .001 and for the Y-OQ-SR (adolescent’s self report) effect sizes were higher for non-wilderness programs Qbetween = 8.62, df = 1, p = .003. Treatment programs for youth using the Y-OQ and Y-OQ-SR to measure behavioral change, are indicating strong and positive effects from pre to post testing. Clinicians should consider routinely monitoring progress of their clients to better understand changes between pre and post testing.

Health Disparity among Latina Women: Comparison with Non-Latina Women.

Abstract: Analyzing the Latino community and focusing on the women that make up this fast-growing demographic create a better understanding of the needs and considerations for health-care professionals and social policies. It is important that national health and health-care data on the Latino ethnic group be presented by gender in order to determine areas specific to women. This review focuses on the existing health and health-care data of Latino women (Latinas). The ability to distinguish the health-care experiences of Latinas will increase the understanding of existing barriers to their health care, the initiatives needed to overcome them, and increase the overall quality of health among Latina women.

An Examination of Mindfulness-Based Experiences Through Adventure in Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Young Adult Males: a Pilot Study

Abstract: The aims of this exploratory pilot study were to examine how a substance use disorder (SUD) treatment program for young adult males integrated mindfulness-based experiences into the treatment process, and to assess the impact of these experiences on the development of mindfulness skills and treatment outcome. The study utilized a within-subject naturalistic mixed-method design that integrated quantitative and qualitative data where all participants who entered treatment and agreed to participate in the evaluation were included in the data collection. A total of 32 young men were included in the analysis with an average age of 22.9 years. Statistically significant changes in scores on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) from pre- to post-treatment were noted for all clients as a result of treatment, and these changes were strongly correlated to treatment outcome as indicated by statistically significant changes in total OQ-45.2 scores. Clients also showed specific improvement in scores on mindfulness skills related to the nonjudging and nonreactivity facets of the FFMQ which were related to reductions in the client’s overall subjective distress as measured by the OQ-45.2. Qualitative findings from analysis of client comments support these findings and highlight client perspective of the value of mindfulness-based experiences in addictions treatment. Despite the limitations inherent in this exploratory study, mindfulness-based experiences (MBEs) are discussed as a promising approach in the treatment of SUD and suggest further research in this area of addiction treatment.

Gender Development in African American Youth

Abstract: Using the organizing framework of Ruble, Martin, and Berenbaum (2006), we summarized literature on gender development in African American youth within six content areas: biological/categorical sex, activities and interests, personal-social attributes, social relationships, styles and symbols, and values regarding gender. Results with African Americans were compared with what is known about gender processes in other U.S. racial groups, and gaps in the literature were noted. Finally, we summarized the literature on socialization influences on gender development in African American youth, focusing particularly on parents and media. Our review shows that gender, along with race, plays a significant role in the development of African American youth, with many of these processes similar to what is found in youth of other racial/ethnic groups. Contextual factors such as family structure and racial context are important to take into account to best understand individual differences in the gender development of Bl...

Colydiine Genera (Coleoptera: Zopheridae: Colydiinae) of the New World: A Key and Nomenclatural Acts 30 Years in the Making

Abstract: A brief review of the classification history of the subfamily Colydiinae is provided, followed by a provisional diagnosis for the group. The 47 genera of New World Colydiinae (Colydiidae auctorum) are reviewed, with an illustrated key to genera, a representative habitus of each genus, a list of all 305 described species currently considered valid, each placed into the appropriate recognized genus, with full citations for each. Numerous nomenclatural changes are noted. Opostirus Kirsch is transferred to the Tenebrionidae: Eudysantina, new placement. The Adimerini Sharp 1894 are synonymized with Synchitini Erichson, 1845, new synonymy. In the Acropini, Lemmis Pascoe, 1860 = Acropis Burmeister, 1840, new synonymy, with Acropis caelatus (Pascoe, 1860), new combination and Acropis tuberosus (Grouvelle, 1896), new combination. Acropis fryi Pascoe, 1860 = Acropis tuberculifera Burmeister, 1840, new synonymy and Acropis incensa Pascoe, 1860 = Acropis aspera Pascoe, 1860, new synonymy. In the Synchitini, ...