Comparing the Rates of Early Childhood Victimization across Sexual Orientations: Heterosexual,Lesbian, Gay,Bisexual, and Mostly Heterosexual

Few studies have examined the rates of childhood victimization among individuals who identify as “mostly heterosexual” (MH) in comparison to other sexual orientation groups. For the present study, we utilized a more comprehensive assessment of adverse childhood experiences to extend prior literature by examining if MH individuals’ experience of victimization more closely mirrors that of sexual minority individuals or heterosexuals. Heterosexual (n = 422) and LGB (n = 561) and MH (n = 120) participants were recruited online. Respondents completed surveys about their adverse childhood experiences, both maltreatment by adults (e.g., childhood physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and childhood household dysfunction) and peer victimization (i.e., verbal and physical bullying). Specifically, MH individuals were 1.47 times more likely than heterosexuals to report childhood victimization experiences perpetrated by adults. These elevated rates were similar to LGB individuals. Results suggest that rates of victimization of MH groups are more similar to the rates found among LGBs, and are significantly higher than heterosexual groups. Our results support prior research that indicates that an MH identity falls within the umbrella of a sexual minority, yet little is known about unique challenges that this group may face in comparison to other sexual minority groups.     

Selective battering of the family pet

Abstract

We examined the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of both pet-abusing and non-pet-abusing perpetrators of family violence. Using data collected from victims residing at domestic violence shelters, results indicated that relative to their non-pet-abusing counterparts, pet-abusing batterers tend to less often show affection toward their pets, more often communicate with their pets only through commands and threats, more often view companion animals as property, are more likely to scapegoat their pets, and are more likely to have unrealistic expectations about their pets, more frequently punish their pets, and are more sensitive to stressful life events—particularly those perceived to be caused by the pet. We also queried respondents about batterers' past history with pets, the frequency and type of abuse inflicted on animals, the number of batterers who hunt, the frequency with which children witnessed abuse of the family pet, the impact of animal guardianship on decisions to remain with or return to the batterer, and where companion animals ended up when victims fled the batterer.     

Susto, Coraje, and Abuse: Depression and Beliefs About Diabetes

Mexican immigrants in the US often incorporate folk beliefs into diabetes etiologies but little is known about the relationship between such beliefs and depression. This study examines the relationship of diabetes beliefs and depression among 404 first- and second-generation Mexican immigrants seeking diabetes care in safety-net clinics in Chicago and San Francisco. We used multivariate linear regression to compare the association of depression with beliefs that susto (fright), coraje (anger), and/or interpersonal abuse cause diabetes, adjusting for gender, age, income, education, diabetes duration, co-morbidities, language preference, and acculturation. We incorporated the belief that abuse causes diabetes based on previous ethnographic research. Individuals reporting belief that abuse contributes to diabetes were significantly more likely to report symptoms of depression before (β?=?1.37; p?相似文献   

Substance use and mating success

Psychoactive substance use has been typical of most traditional and modern societies and is maintained in the population despite the potential for abuse and related harms, raising the possibility that it (or its underlying causes) confers fitness benefits that offset its costs. Although it seems plausible that psychoactive substances have facilitated survival among ancestral and modern humans, it is not clear that this enhancement has translated into Darwinian fitness through mating and ultimately reproductive success. In the current study, we discuss potential mechanisms by which substance use might make unique contributions to mating success, attend to the possibility that the effects between substance use and mating success are instead confounded, and use structural equations and nationally representative data to determine whether these effects are more likely causal or spurious. Our findings indicate that once we know participants' scores on “third” variables at each round in early young adulthood, their substance use gives us little additional information about their current prospects for acquiring sexual partners and no additional information about of their future prospects. Thus, if adaptations for substance use evolved, their adaptive value does not seem to be found in mating success.     

ISBP: Understanding the Security Rule of Users' Information-Sharing Behaviors in Partnership

The rapid growth of social network data has given rise to high security awareness among users, especially when they exchange and share their personal information. However, because users have different feelings about sharing their information, they are often puzzled about who their partners for exchanging information can be and what information they can share. Is it possible to assist users in forming a partnership network in which they can exchange and share information with little worry? We propose a modified information sharing behavior prediction (ISBP) model that can help in understanding the underlying rules by which users share their information with partners in light of three common aspects: what types of items users are likely to share, what characteristics of users make them likely to share information, and what features of users’ sharing behavior are easy to predict. This model is applied with machine learning techniques in WEKA to predict users’ decisions pertaining to information sharing behavior and form them into trustable partnership networks by learning their features. In the experiment section, by using two real-life datasets consisting of citizens’ sharing behavior, we identify the effect of highly sensitive requests on sharing behavior adjacent to individual variables: the younger participants’ partners are more difficult to predict than those of the older participants, whereas the partners of people who are not computer majors are easier to predict than those of people who are computer majors. Based on these findings, we believe that it is necessary and feasible to offer users personalized suggestions on information sharing decisions, and this is pioneering work that could benefit college researchers focusing on user-centric strategies and website owners who want to collect more user information without raising their privacy awareness or losing their trustworthiness.     

Factors associated with physician recognition and treatment of alcoholism.

We surveyed internists, family physicians, and psychiatrists regarding their clinical experiences in assessing and treating alcohol abuse, practice characteristics, political and religious beliefs, attitudes toward substance abuse, beliefs about the efficacy of treatment, personal experiences with substance use, and sociodemographic variables. Despite the high prevalence of alcohol abuse, a third of the physicians neither regularly counseled nor referred any patients for outpatient rehabilitation, and more than half had not referred anyone for inpatient treatment. A greater breadth of experience treating alcohol problems was positively correlated with the volume of outpatients and inpatients seen, younger age, more work in primary rather than specialty patient care, less academic work, a stronger belief in the efficacy of treating alcoholism, membership in the Republican party, and a greater religiosity.     

Social,Educational, and Psychological Correlates of Weight Status in Adolescents

Objectives: The purpose of this research was to examine the social, educational, and psychological correlates of weight status in an adolescent population. It was hypothesized that obese adolescents would differ on psychological, social, and educational variables compared with their non‐overweight peers. Research Methods and Procedures: In this cross‐sectional study, a population‐based sample of 4742 male and 5201 female public school students in the 7th, 9th, and 11th grades responded anonymously to a classroom administered questionnaire. Body mass index was calculated from self‐reported height and weight and categorized into four classes of weight status: underweight (<15th percentile), average weight (15th to 85th percentile), overweight (>85th to 95th percentile), and obese (>95th percentile). The questionnaire also included questions about social experiences, psychological well‐being, educational experiences, and future goals. Associations of weight status with social, psychological, and educational variables and future goals were explored. Results: After adjustment for grade level, race, and parental socioeconomic status, obese girls, when compared with their average weight counterparts, were 1.63 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16, 2.30) times less likely to hang out with friends in the last week, 1.49 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.98) times more likely to report serious emotional problems in the last year, 1.79 (95% CI: 1.20, 2.65) times more likely to report hopelessness, and 1.73 (95% CI: 1.21, 1.98) times more likely to report a suicide attempt in the last year. Obese girls were also 1.51 (95% CI: 1.09, 2.10) times more likely to report being held back a grade and 2.09 (95% CI: 1.35, 3.24) times more likely to consider themselves poor students compared with average weight girls. Compared with their average weight counterparts, obese boys were 1.91 (95% CI: 1.43, 2.54) times less likely to hang out with friends in the last week, 1.34 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.70) times more likely to feel that their friends do not care about them, 1.38 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.76) times more likely to report having serious problems in the last year, 1.46 (95% CI: 1.05, 0.03) times more likely to consider themselves poor students, and 2.18 (95% CI: 1.45, 3.30) times more likely to expect to quit school. Compared with average weight boys, underweight boys were 1.67 (95% CI: 1.30, 2.13) times more likely to report hanging out with friends in the last week, 1.22 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.49) times more likely to report disliking school, and 1.40 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.86) times more likely to consider themselves poor students. Discussion: Associations of weight status with social relationships, school experiences, psychological well‐being, and some future aspirations were observed. Among girls, the pattern of observations indicates that obese girls reported more adverse social, educational, and psychological correlates. Obese as well as underweight boys also reported some adverse social and educational correlates. These findings contribute to an understanding of how adolescent experiences vary by weight status and suggest social and psychological risks associated with not meeting weight and body shape ideals embedded in the larger culture.     

Adaptive explanations for sensitive windows in development

Development in many organisms appears to show evidence of sensitive windows—periods or stages in ontogeny in which individual experience has a particularly strong influence on the phenotype (compared to other periods or stages). Despite great interest in sensitive windows from both fundamental and applied perspectives, the functional (adaptive) reasons why they have evolved are unclear. Here we outline a conceptual framework for understanding when natural selection should favour changes in plasticity across development. Our approach builds on previous theory on the evolution of phenotypic plasticity, which relates individual and population differences in plasticity to two factors: the degree of uncertainty about the environmental conditions and the extent to which experiences during development (‘cues’) provide information about those conditions. We argue that systematic variation in these two factors often occurs within the lifetime of a single individual, which will select for developmental changes in plasticity. Of central importance is how informational properties of the environment interact with the life history of the organism. Phenotypes may be more or less sensitive to environmental cues at different points in development because of systematic changes in (i) the frequency of cues, (ii) the informativeness of cues, (iii) the fitness benefits of information and/or (iv) the constraints on plasticity. In relatively stable environments, a sensible null expectation is that plasticity will gradually decline with age as the developing individual gathers information. We review recent models on the evolution of developmental changes in plasticity and explain how they fit into our conceptual framework. Our aim is to encourage an adaptive perspective on sensitive windows in development.     

Lifetime Victimization and Physical Health Outcomes among Lesbian and Heterosexual Women

Background

Lifetime victimization experiences, including child sexual abuse (CSA), child physical abuse (CPA), adult sexual assault (ASA), and adult physical assault (APA), are associated with health problems.

Purpose

To examine relationships between cumulative victimization and physical health among heterosexual and lesbian women and determine whether these relationships differ by sexual identity.

Methods

Large samples of heterosexual (n = 482) and lesbian women (n = 394) were interviewed. Questions included lifetime victimization experiences and physical health problems.

Results

Compared to women who reported no childhood victimization, those who reported experiencing both CSA and CPA were 44% more likely to report health problems and women who experienced all four types of victimization (CSA, CPA, APA, ASA) were nearly 240% as likely to report physical health problems. Interaction analyses revealed the association between victimization and physical health did not differ by sexual identity.

Conclusions

Although lesbians were more likely to report all types of victimization, results suggest that victimization conferred increased physical health risks regardless of sexual identity.     

Genetic estimates of contemporary effective population size: what can they tell us about the importance of genetic stochasticity for wild population persistence?

Genetic stochasticity due to small population size contributes to population extinction, especially when population fragmentation disrupts gene flow. Estimates of effective population size ( N _e) can therefore be informative about population persistence, but there is a need for an assessment of their consistency and informative relevance. Here we review the body of empirical estimates of N _e for wild populations obtained with the temporal genetic method and published since Frankham's (1995 ) review. Theoretical considerations have identified important sources of bias for this analytical approach, and we use empirical data to investigate the extent of these biases. We find that particularly model selection and sampling require more attention in future studies.
We report a median unbiased N _e estimate of 260 (among 83 studies) and find that this median estimate tends to be smaller for populations of conservation concern, which may therefore be more sensitive to genetic stochasticity. Furthermore, we report a median N _e/ N ratio of 0.14, and find that this ratio may actually be higher for small populations, suggesting changes in biological interactions at low population abundances. We confirm the role of gene flow in countering genetic stochasticity by finding that N _e correlates strongest with neutral genetic metrics when populations can be considered isolated. This underlines the importance of gene flow for the estimation of N _e, and of population connectivity for conservation in general. Reductions in contemporary gene flow due to ongoing habitat fragmentation will likely increase the prevalence of genetic stochasticity, which should therefore remain a focal point in the conservation of biodiversity.     

Documenting wife abuse: a guide for physicians

An estimated 12% to 30% of women are assaulted by their male partners at least once during the relationship. Therefore, in their everyday practice, physicians are likely to encounter women who have suffered domestic abuse. The authors define wife abuse, outline epidemiologic aspects and discuss common signs and symptoms. In cases of suspected or confirmed abuse, it is very important for physicians to document the details of the injuries, the patient visit, any treatment and follow-up as well as to screen for associated conditions and ensure that any samples taken are not tampered with. When asked to disclose information by police or courts, physicians need to know when they are obliged to submit copies of their patients'' medical records, when patient consent is required, what information should be divulged and how to defend this information in court. The authors present information about the necessary, relevant and appropriate evidence to be collected and documented for both medical and legal purposes. They also discuss the criminal justice system and the role of physicians in legal proceedings concerning wife abuse.     

The Effect of Information Provision on Public Consensus about Climate Change

Despite over 20 years of research and scientific consensus on the topic, climate change continues to be a politically polarizing issue. We conducted a survey experiment to test whether providing the public with information on the exact extent of scientific agreement about the occurrence and causes of climate change affects respondents’ own beliefs and bridges the divide between conservatives and liberals. First, we show that the public significantly underestimated the extent of the scientific consensus. We then find that those given concrete information about scientists’ views were more likely to report believing that climate change was already underway and that it was caused by humans. However, their beliefs about the necessity of making policy decisions and their willingness to donate money to combat climate change were not affected. Information provision affected liberals, moderates, and conservatives similarly, implying that the gap in beliefs between liberals and conservatives is not likely to be bridged by information treatments similar to the one we study. Finally, we conducted a 6-month follow-up with respondents to see if the treatment effect persisted; the results were statistically inconclusive.     

Zebrafish: a model for the study of addiction genetics

Drug abuse and dependence are multifaceted disorders with complex genetic underpinnings. Identifying specific genetic correlates is challenging and may be more readily accomplished by defining endophenotypes specific for addictive disorders. Symptoms and syndromes, including acute drug response, consumption, preference, and withdrawal, are potential endophenotypes characterizing addiction that have been investigated using model organisms. We present a review of major genes involved in serotonergic, dopaminergic, GABAergic, and adrenoreceptor signaling that are considered to be directly involved in nicotine, opioid, cannabinoid, and ethanol use and dependence. The zebrafish genome encodes likely homologs of the vast majority of these loci. We also review the known expression patterns of these genes in zebrafish. The information presented in this review provides support for the use of zebrafish as a viable model for studying genetic factors related to drug addiction. Expansion of investigations into drug response using model organisms holds the potential to advance our understanding of drug response and addiction in humans.     

Neuropeptide precursors in Tribolium castaneum

Neuropeptides and neurohormones are among the more diverse and functionally important classes of cell-to-cell signaling molecules involved in animal development and behavior. Less is known about the hormones and neuropeptides of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, than many other insects. However, the genomic information becoming available from this organism presents an opportunity to identify multiple neuropeptide and hormone genes, and hence their associated protein precursors. Using similarity-based prediction, we report new neuropeptides and hormone precursors from T. castaneum, bringing the number of annotated precursors to 37. We identified one prohormone (SVDPIDGDLIG-containing) having little similarity to other insect prohormones. The conversion of the protein precursors into bioactive peptides requires a suite of processing enzymes and a number of enzymatic steps; using the web-based NeuroPred application and similarity-based bioinformatics approaches, we predict 132 likely peptides that may result from the enzymatic processing of these gene products.     

Body size matters in provision of help: factors related to children's willingness to help overweight peers

Although children who are overweight may be vulnerable to negative social experiences, little is known about whether children will offer help to peers who are overweight. The present study examined whether children would offer aid to peers who are overweight with everyday tasks (such as picking up toys). This study also examined whether weight stereotypes and intentions to befriend these peers are related to intentions to help. Fifty-one children, aged 4-8, were interviewed about their stereotypes and behavioral intentions. Findings revealed that children were less likely to help overweight than average weight peers. Children who did not hold positive stereotypes about thinness and those who chose to play with overweight peers were more likely to help peers who are overweight. Results suggest that weight prejudice is pervasive and that children who are overweight might not be offered aid in classroom settings, highlighting the need for early intervention.     

Risk and resiliency factors in posttraumatic stress disorder

BACKGROUND: Not everyone who experiences a trauma develops posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim of this study was to determine the risk and resiliency factors for this disorder in a sample of people exposed to trauma. METHOD: Twenty-five people who had developed PTSD following a trauma and 27 people who had not were asked to complete the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. In addition, they completed a questionnaire to provide information autobiographic and other information. ANALYSIS: Five variables that discriminated significantly between the two groups using chi-square analysis or t-tests were entered into a logistic regression equation as predictors, namely, being female, perceiving a threat to one's life, having a history of sexual abuse, talking to someone about the event, and the "intentionality" of the trauma. RESULTS: Only being female and perceiving a threat to one's life were significant predictors of PTSD. Taking base rates into account, 96.0% of participants with PTSD were correctly classified as having the disorder and 37.0% of participants without PTSD were correctly classified as not having the disorder, for an overall success rate of 65.4% CONCLUSIONS: Because women are more likely than men to develop PTSD, more preventive measures should be directed towards them. The same is true for trauma victims (of both sexes) who feel that their life was in danger     

Sex differences in the neural mechanisms mediating addiction: a new synthesis and hypothesis

In this review we propose that there are sex differences in how men and women enter onto the path that can lead to addiction. Males are more likely than females to engage in risky behaviors that include experimenting with drugs of abuse, and in susceptible individuals, they are drawn into the spiral that can eventually lead to addiction. Women and girls are more likely to begin taking drugs as self-medication to reduce stress or alleviate depression. For this reason women enter into the downward spiral further along the path to addiction, and so transition to addiction more rapidly. We propose that this sex difference is due, at least in part, to sex differences in the organization of the neural systems responsible for motivation and addiction. Additionally, we suggest that sex differences in these systems and their functioning are accentuated with addiction. In the current review we discuss historical, cultural, social and biological bases for sex differences in addiction with an emphasis on sex differences in the neurotransmitter systems that are implicated.     

Rocky mountain spotted Fever

We compare health maintenance organization enrollees'' evaluations of the care they received from family physicians and chiropractors for low back pain. Patients of chiropractors were three times as likely as patients of family physicians to report that they were very satisfied with the care they received for low back pain (66% versus 22%, respectively). Compared with patients of family physicians, patients of chiropractors were much more likely to have been satisfied with the amount of information they were given, to have perceived that their provider was concerned about them, and to have felt that their provider was comfortable and confident dealing with their problem. Although the more positive evaluations of chiropractors may be related to differences in the patient populations served by the two providers or to benefits of spinal manipulation, it is suggested that a potentially more potent force--the therapeutic effect of the patient and provider interaction itself--may explain the observed differences.     

What Shall We Talk about in Farsi?

Previous empirical studies have suggested that language is primarily used to exchange social information, but our evidence on this derives mainly from English speakers. We present data from a study of natural conversations among Farsi (Persian) speakers in Iran and show that not only are conversation groups the same size as those observed in Europe and North America, but people also talk predominantly about social topics. We argue that these results reinforce the suggestion that language most likely evolved for the transmission of information about the social world. We also explore sex differences in conversational behavior: while the pattern is broadly similar between the sexes, men may be more sensitive than women are to discussing some topics in the presence of many other people.     

Human Rights Violations among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Southern Africa: Comparisons between Legal Contexts

In 1994, South Africa approved a constitution providing freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation. Other Southern African countries, including Botswana, Malawi, and Namibia, criminalize same-sex behavior. Men who have sex with men (MSM) have been shown to experience high levels of stigma and discrimination, increasing their vulnerability to negative health and other outcomes. This paper examines the relationship between criminalization of same-sex behavior and experiences of human rights abuses by MSM. It compares the extent to which MSM in peri-urban Cape Town experience human rights abuses with that of MSM in Gaborone, Botswana; Blantyre and Lilongwe, Malawi; and Windhoek, Namibia. In 2008, 737 MSM participated in a cross-sectional study using a structured survey collecting data regarding demographics, human rights, HIV status, and risk behavior. Participants accrued in each site were compared using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Encouragingly, the results indicate MSM in Cape Town were more likely to disclose their sexual orientation to family or healthcare workers and less likely to be blackmailed or feel afraid in their communities than MSM in Botswana, Malawi, or Namibia. However, South African MSM were not statistically significantly less likely experience a human rights abuse than their peers in cities in other study countries, showing that while legal protections may reduce experiences of certain abuses, legislative changes alone are insufficient for protecting MSM. A comprehensive approach with interventions at multiple levels in multiple sectors is needed to create the legal and social change necessary to address attitudes, discrimination, and violence affecting MSM.